You may wonder if your small business needs a website or if you can just continue as you have been. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, the market is competitive, and with the rapid rise in digital transformation, you really can’t afford to be left behind.
The pandemic has changed our world forever, especially when it comes to how businesses and customers interact. It is now standard practice for consumers to go online and research before buying a new product or trying a new service. Neil Patel, a New York Times Bestselling author and considered one of the top influencers on the web, talks about hybrid consumers – “they no longer distinguish between online and offline channels. For example, they may look at an item in-store but then do more research online before making a purchase there. They may also research and buy online before picking up a product in-store.”
Your potential customers are all about ease of access, and websites have become integral to any small business’s success. If we haven’t convinced you yet, here are our top 6 reasons why your small business needs a website.
It’s all about credibility!
A website shows that you take your business seriously and creates a sense of legitimacy. Based on the exponential increase in online research, having a website has become a significant criterion for determining your business’s level of professionalism, credibility, and trustworthiness.
A study commissioned by Versign revealed the following, “Among those surveyed, approximately two-thirds (66%) agreed that a business with its own website is more credible than one without. Likewise, a majority indicated that they would expect it to be more difficult to verify the identity of (56%), find online (55%), and contact (54%) a business that does not have its own website.”
In addition, if your online presence is purely based on social media, you are missing a significant opportunity to provide your customers with additional information. This is especially important considering that the majority of social media users expect to be able to access a website to find out more about the service or product they were viewing.
Getting your brand out there
Connecting with your target audience is crucial for any small business, and one of the easiest ways to do that is through a website. A website is the heart of your online presence; it allows you to create and control how your business is represented to your potential customers.
Your brand differentiates you from your competitors, and your website’s design and layout are crucial. Analysis performed by Stanford University showed that 75% of users judged a company’s credibility based on their website, but particularly on the website’s design.
Having your own website brings your brand to life. It enables you to give your brand a personality – it’s like telling a story, allowing people to gain insights into your business, making it far more relatable. Your website is your number one marketing tool – you can showcase who you are, your beliefs, vision, and values, as well as your products and solutions, all in one place!
And besides, your website is out there marketing your business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Attracting new customers
Without a website, you won’t feature in any of those all-important internet searches. Appearing in search engine results is key to getting your brand out there, as well as attracting new customers. Ranking highly has many benefits, one of which is when potential customers are searching for products or services that are similar to yours, your website will also appear in their search – nothing like a bit of free advertising!
Let’s put it into perspective, there are over 4.5 billion active internet users worldwide, with approximately 5.6 billion Google searches per day, equating to around 63 000 search queries per second! These are massive numbers that can’t be ignored, and as we’ve said before, can you really afford to continue being invisible?
It isn’t as straightforward as simply launching your website; you will need to make use of SEO (search engine optimisation) strategies to ensure that you show up in Google searches. But with consistency, the correct keyword usage, and valuable, fresh content, your business will reap the benefits.
Another added benefit of having a website is that you expand your reach. You are no longer restricted by your location as your website is now accessible from anywhere in the world. You have gone global without having to do anything extra!
Creating a superior customer experience
Unlike you, the internet never sleeps, which means that your website is available 24/7. Your customers are always able to find you no matter where they are or what time it is. One of the best things about a website from a consumer perspective is that it provides you with the flexibility to access information about different products at your own convenience.
Many customers want to know the same type of information and will be asking similar questions. For example, providing a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) page allows you to provide detailed responses, making it easier for anyone looking for additional information. This saves both you and your customer valuable time.
Don’t just think of your website as a way to promote your products or services. By providing quality, engaging content, you position your business as an authority in your industry and become your customers’ go-to resource.
A key to providing that superior customer service is to ensure that your website is well designed, user-friendly and that you understand what is important to your customer. Grafitti9, a digital marketing agency, published the following statistics on customer interactions:
- 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile
- 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience
- 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive
- 39% of people will stop engaging with a website if images won’t load or take too long to load
- A study found that 94% of negative website feedback was design related
- Nearly 8 in 10 customers would stop engaging with content that doesn’t display well on their device
Understanding your customers
Gone are the days when you had to send out hundreds of surveys (most of which never received quite the response level you had been hoping for) to understand your customer. And let’s be honest, if you really want to irritate a customer, just call them and ask for 10 minutes of their time to answer a few questions!
Fortunately, with a website, you don’t have to do anything to gain those sought-after insights! Through the use of analytic tools, a website allows you to gain insights into your customers and their behaviours, all of which is a considerable advantage, especially when it comes to your business strategy.
For example, making use of Google Analytics will enable you to gain a deeper understanding of your customers as you are able to access a host of information that can help you adapt your strategy and take advantage of specific trends.
These tools allow you to identify how your customers interact with your site, who your typical customer is, how they found you, and even predict your customer’s future actions.
The advantages over social media
Social media platforms are great, but you have no control over third-party platforms. In essence, they “own” your data, and considering their business is centered around data, you are helping grow their business as opposed to yours. Your website is the perfect place to house all of your data and content safely and securely and, most importantly, where you are 100% in control.
Social media platforms are made to keep users continually engaged and scrolling, which means you are permanently fighting to stand out and keep a user’s attention. Whereas once a customer is on your website and engaged, you have their undivided attention, and you can far more easily and effectively showcase your product or services without there being any other distractions.
In conclusion
Not having a website is no longer an option – you will find yourself being left behind as your competition continues to expand their reach, grow their business, and take advantage of all that a website has to offer.
Owning your own website will significantly impact your small business’s success rate. They are crucial to establishing your credibility, increasing your visibility, improving brand awareness, attracting new customers, and boosting your revenue.
Small businesses have the big advantage of being far more flexible and agile than larger corporations and having a website provides you with the ability to level the playing fields. Making use of a well-designed website that has been optimised effectively allows you to compete with any other business, no matter where they are or how big they are.
So as we have mentioned quite a few times – can you really afford to remain invisible?
