Why do you need a website if you do not sell goods online or use social media for this purpose? Like many small business owners, you may think that your company cannot benefit from having an online resource or that it is not within your budget. However, these are all misconceptions. Here are 15 reasons why your business needs a professional website, no matter how big it is.
Why Do I Need a Website in 2021?
In the modern world, a website is a key tool for communication with your customers. However, lots of entrepreneurs still think they don’t have the knowledge and costs to build and maintain a corporate website. Some of them even say their businesses do not need one because they use social media or work offline.
That is why we decided to tell you about some concrete reasons why your company should have its web page. So, if you are an entrepreneur who still publishes ads in local newspapers, read on!
1. Having a website meets customer’s expectations
We are living in 21th century, and our lives are extremely digitalized. So, it’s no wonder that customers expect you to have a website. Before visiting your office or buying your product, they are likely to go online and check your reputation. Six out of ten customers expect brands to provide information about their business online, and over half will go to a brand’s website for product information.
Having a web page is a part of your corporate image. It indicates the success and technical progress of your company, as well as its ability to respond to the challenges of the times. Or, if put it simply, you should have a website just because your clients expect you to have it!
2. It gives customers a reason to believe
Today, more and more people are looking for what they want on the Internet. If you don’t have a website, potential clients will go to your opponents only because they have a good online reputation and you don’t.
On the other hand, a well-made web page will serve you as a business card. It will show the uniqueness of your company, reveal who you are, your goals, years of experience, and lots of other unique details that set you apart from your competitors. A website is an ideal place to tell your clients why they should buy from you.
3. It will make your brand noticeable
Keep in mind that advertising is the engine of commerce, and the website is the engine of your business!
A web page allows your business to use lots of Internet marketing tools:
- Email marketing
- Google Adds
- Content Marketing
It is more convenient, easier, and effective to work on marketing activities on the Internet. Launch a promotion, discount, or advertising campaign with a low budget and in limited time? No problem! There are lots of free online tools that can help you make attractive banners, create a marketing plan, and set up an ad campaign where you pay only for clicks. It is also easier to analyze the results of such campaigns. You can monitor the statistics: visits, orders, online purchases, and other indicators.
Remember how many companies or personal brands become popular just by going viral with one picture or video? And where do you think their customers go? Right, to their websites.
4. It helps to create a brand name
Just a decade or two ago, brands would use television, newspapers, and radio to create an image and promote it. Now, the time has changed, and the company image is valued based on its position on the Internet.
A website is the online face of your business. It reveals the company logo, concept, mission, and basic principles. It’s the perfect place to show off your business expertise, employees’ proficiency, and product quality. Web pages like “Reviews from our clients” or “Our Work Portfolio” give visitors a more concrete vision of what you do and help them build trust in your company.
5. You will get more customers
A website is a tool that you can use to attract potential customers and simplify the initial process of order placement. With the help of keywords and search engines, potential clients will find your online shop and read about the products you offer. If they like it, they’ll become your customers.
Of course, it will not happen just because you’ve launched a web page. It will take you some effort. However, it’s an almost free way of attracting customers. “Almost” is because you don’t pay for it, but, of course, you spend some time and money on content generation.
You will need to write articles for the website, create a backlink portfolio, and constantly improve user experience. And if you do everything right, some of your pages will get to the top of Google results, and you will receive traffic just because you’re on top.
Moreover, this system generates visitors who are already interested in what you offer; so, you have more chances to sell your product to them.
6. Permanent availability
Remember how just a few years ago, you had to call or even come to the company office to get information about its goods or clarify what services it provides. And this could only be done during working hours.
Well, a website is a virtual office that works day and night and helps users get all the information they need:
- Complete product description;
- Contact details;
- Working hours.
It’s convenient because many people browse the web after sunset when most stores are closed. And the big advantage of online businesses is that they never sleep. The web page allows your business to operate 24/7/365. It’s like having a staff who never takes days off!
7. Your competitors have websites
If your competitors have websites, then they have clear advantages over you:
- Internet users know about their products;
- They promote their brand names;
- They get more clients;
- They build a trustworthy relationship with customers;
- They can work all over the world;
- They get feedback and improve the goods and services they sell.
And… you don’t. You cannot do all these things just because you think owning a website is too expensive. Well, just keep on reading.
8. Having a web page is cost-friendly
As a small business owner, you probably think you can’t afford a professional website. However, there are plenty of ways to get an inexpensive and well-designed online resource. You don’t need to do much research to see that creating a website is much cheaper than daily advertising in newspapers or on TV. It also provides you with a larger audience.
Besides, online resources make it easy to change and distribute updated information. You don’t need to design a new booklet, give it to the printing house, and send it to clients. Just make a few clicks, and your customers will immediately get notifications.
9. You can work on a global level
Most small businesses can sell only in their city or nearby areas. Having a website allows you to sell your goods and services all around the state and even all over the world. You can find customers in places you have never visited and where you may never go. And thanks to online offices, working around the globe will not require more effort than working locally.
10. It saves your time
Providing information to your customers takes time, whether by phone, flyer, email, or face-to-face. An online page helps you deliver a large amount of information about your products and services with a few clicks. Once your website is up and running, you will be able to save your own time and send information to your customers with lightning speed. And remember: time is money!
11. The website can increase income
According to statistics, small businesses that are represented online have 30% more income than those that don’t have their website.
The Internet is now the largest trading platform in the world. Millions of transactions are made online every day, thousands of goods are sold, and a huge number of different services are provided. An online resource will help your business enter that enormous market and bring real profit for you. It will work like a sales office but with no restrictions on the number of visitors, goods to sell, and services to offer. And, most importantly, after launching, it will not require large financial investments.
12. It provides a higher level of customer service
The site allows businesses to deliver high-quality services. For example, a good online store will provide clients with detailed characteristics of the product and instructions. It will help to choose the right color and size, delivery and payment methods, and so on. And the best part is that this first-class service is available at any time.
A web page is not only a platform where you can inform your clients about company news, discounts, and new products but also a good tool for getting feedback. It can be used for gathering information, statistics, and criticism from your clients as well. The easiest way to do it is to offer visitors various application forms, which can specify their desires and wishes about the product. The application form can be then automatically sent by email to the responsible manager for processing, approval, and execution.
13. You can work with your audience
In 2020, a successful business constantly maintains contact with its target audience, speaks its language, and builds friendly relationships. The company needs to hear and understand its customers, and a website is almost the only tool that allows you to do that.
There are three basic ways to organize communication with customers:
- Forum;
- Comment cards;
- Online chat.
Even now, when most online communication takes place on social media, forums continue to live. You can create one for your website, and, who knows, maybe, it will become the source of additional traffic.
Comment card is also a convenient instrument for getting customers’ feedback. Positive comments help clients get more information about your product and make your company even more trustworthy. Negative comments allow you to have a different look at the goods and services you sell, which benefits company development.
Online chat is an additional element you can use to diversify communication with clients. It enables you to answer the visitors’ questions, get their contact information, and receive orders in real-time.
In the end, all of these tools help you build trustworthy relationships with website visitors and turn them into loyal customers.
14. It will help your office work more effectively
A well-structured website with relevant information will save time for your staff.
Customers tend to ask for the same information over and over again, and your employees have to give the same answers several times per day:
- by phone;
- by e-mail;
- in the charts;
- by other means of communication.
However, if you already know what interests your clients the most, just provide this information on the web page and avoid answering frequent questions. The simplest way to do it is to create a special “Questions and answers” section that will collect the most common customer questions and qualified answers to them.
15. It speeds up information delivery
In its simplest form, a business website is an online catalog that can be updated any time you want. It ensures the immediate delivery of any type of news. And we are talking not just about news sites or portals. Even a corporate online resource provides users with relevant and useful information:
- The latest brand news;
- Marketing actions;
- Sales and discounts.
Whether it’s a new product launch or an annual sale, a business website makes it much easier and faster to deliver your information to customers so they can stay up to date and receive the latest news by email.
Conclusion
Now, you know how to use a website to increase the number of clients and save money. We hope that the abovementioned facts convinced you that having online representation has more benefits than working through social media or with no web page at all.
