It is 2020, and if your business does not have a website, then you are losing out on millions of revenues and potential clients, not to mention lagging behind your competitors. There is absolutely no reason anyone could have for not having an online presence. You could be running a manufacturing plant, an IT solutions firm, or you could be in the boat floating dock business. No matter the size of your venture, a website is a necessity because the survival of your business depends on it.
The following are some of the core reasons why your business must have a website.
A Website is a Sign of Credibility
The internet is full of websites that promise various solutions and services. Some are genuine, but some are not. To ascertain the authenticity of a website, you can look up its security details on your browser. If the URL begins with “https” instead of “http,” then that website is secure, which means that it is authentic. Customers tend to avoid businesses that do not have a website since it may force them to communicate directly to get information that should be displayed freely on a website.
It Will Save You Money
A website is a one-stop-shop of all the information about your business. In some way, it is also a platform that you can use to advertise yourself. Compared to the leg work you may have to do if you lack a website, you can correctly conclude that a website cuts down on revenues that would otherwise have gone into expensive forms of advertising. It may cost you a lot to set up a website, but a lack of it is even costlier in the long run.
It Connects Your Clients and Your Business
In the past, getting out information about new products and services involved going through mainstream media, i.e., newspapers, TV, and radio. That was too expensive, and most businesses were limited to sending out such information once or twice a year. But with websites, all you need to push any new information is by posting it on your page, and it will be viewed by as many people as possible. Add social media into the equation, and you will have a wider reach without spending too much.
Free Brand Exposure
Aside from the name of the company, websites also include a little information about the whole business, how it was started, the products it offers, and the image of the company logo. When a new visitor opens the page, all it takes is less than a minute of reading for them to figure out what you are all about. With websites becoming more responsive and interactive, the user experience has improved. The more appealing your website looks, the higher the chance that you will gain a new customer off that alone.
You Get Organic Traffic
Getting a website is just the beginning. There are features you can add that will give you control in tracking the traffic that it receives. This data can be put into many uses leading to improved customer service. An SEO-optimized website will place your website high in the google search results, which in turn increases the number of visitors to the website, giving you the chance to increase your customer base.
It Makes Social Media Marketing Easy
You cannot conquer the digital space if you do not have a website in the first place. Social media marketing, for instance, relies heavily on referrals. It would be pointless to have a huge presence on social media but no website to refer people back to. All the interest you generate on these sites has to be directed to the website. At the same time, your landing page has to also be linked to your social media accounts to make it easy to share any new information at a moment’s notice.
Your Customers Expect It
As earlier mentioned, it is a very bad idea not to have a website. When talking about your business to someone else these days, they never ask for a business card, but the URL to your website. Your customers and everybody else expects to see a website when they want to get information about something in your catalog. Direct contact is usually the last resort when their concerns are not met by the website. To keep your customer base, you need to set up a website, and a pretty damn good one at that too.
It Makes You Competitive
If you look around, all the big-name companies have stunning websites, and they do not stop there. Global conglomerates, for instance, even go a step ahead and create multiple websites tailored to cater to the needs of specific regions. You may be a small company, but a good website helps even the playing field. Online, everyone can be a giant, and it all depends on the effort you put into interacting with as many people as you can to expand the reach of your brand.
Your business Becomes a 24-hour Operation
When you close for the day, your website continues running, meaning your clients can reach you when they need to. You can provide them with a contact box that allows them to send you anything that may need your urgent attention. Without a website, all your operations halt the moment the day ends.
Conclusion
As it is clearly evident, websites are a necessity. If you are planning to begin a business you have to budget for a website, and do not go for the cheaper options, compromising on the quality will only hurt you in the long run. Customers are keen people; they will always go to the best; therefore, it is up to you to be the best or risk losing them all to your competitors.
