Having a website in this day and age has become an absolute must for any small business owner that wants to succeed in today´s ever-evolving marketplace.
It´s hard to believe that in Australia, the majority of business owners don´t have a website (almost 59% to be more precise). If we consider that we are currently experiencing an era where most people search and shop online for any services or products they may be interested in, this stat is quite shocking.
So, if you own a business and you still don´t have a website and you are wondering why you should get one, check out some of the top ten benefits outlined below:
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1. Builds Credibility
Nowadays, there is an expectation for any reputable business to have some sort of presence online. Think about when you are looking for any specific item, the first thing you typically is to google them and check out their website and specific reviews.
One of the benefits of a website is that you will seem more credible and reliable to your potential customers. If you start ranking on the top pages of google you will also become an authoritative business in your niche.
A website sets the tone of your business and its a perfect opportunity to provide crucial information to your customers, and answer any What´s or Why´s they may have.
What´s more, having a well designed, professional-looking website makes your customers feel more comfortable using your services and reflects well on your business and professionalism.
2. Online Presence 24/7
Having a website enables you the possibility to be visible for any potential customers 24/7, which means that they can find you anytime, anywhere. This is a huge advantage as your business can literally operate 24 hours and continue to obtain and expand new customers even when you are not working.
Also, unlike a classic mortar business that operates from 9-5, a website never closes. It´s open 24/7, even on holidays.
3. It Reduces Costs
In addition to displaying relevant information, you can also sell and promote your products and services online, in some cases enabling you to remove the typical ¨brick and mortar¨stores which generally involve expensive costs (staff, wages, rentals, bills to name a few).
Eliminating these costs will allow you to focus more on your product and have a competitive edge advantage with your competitors.
4. Efficient Way To Promote Your Business
If you are still utilizing traditional marketing services such as print ads, yellow pages, press releases, flyers, etc you are wasting valuable money, time and resources.
A lot of small business owners tend to continue to rely on these traditional methods but nowadays they have proven to be more expensive, time-consuming, and cover less ground.
The online marketing is way more efficient, faster and provides tangible results. You have a wide variety of options that you can implement and allow you to target your audience/market but without a website, these strategies will fall short.
Some of the most popular online tools consist of:
- Social Media: Research has shown that approximately 2.34 billion people are on social media
- Email Marketing: This tool has proven to be around 40% more effective in attracting customers that Facebook. Having a bank base of customers, enables you to promote specific products, special offers that new customers wouldn´t have.
- Videos: Utilizing a video on your home page can increase your sales conversion by around 80%. Always keep this in mind if you want to showcase a specific product or service you would like to promote
- Blogging: This is a very strong tool as uploading more content increases your rankings and online presence to google.
Want to grow your business? Contact eWebsites and find out more…
5. Visibility
A website enables you to increase the visibility of your brand. One of the first things that people do when they hear about a new business in town, is to look at their website.
This will be your main opportunity to showcase all your relevant information, special offers, unique selling proposition to your customers.
It´s an incredible tool to demonstrate why your business is unique and stands out from the competition.
Also, as described above, it works really well when you integrate it with social media. If someone sees a social media post that they are interested in, its quite likely that they will visit your website to find out more!
6. Consumer Insights
One of the most significant benefits is that a website is that through analytics, it allows you to track and identify who your customer is, what they are looking for, what they like and dislike amongst other items in real-time.
This is a huge advantage as you can make small tweaks along the way that can translate in huge returns for your business in a very short timeframe.
7. Target Larger Markets
As you are accessible 24/7 all over the world this enables you to expand your target audience in another town or country just by having a website. This would have literally been impossible to achieve some years ago, but know with breaking geographical barriers has never proved to be so easy.
8. Competition
If you don´t have a website, it´s quite likely that your competitor will do, therefore you will likely be missing the opportunity to gain more customers for your business. It´s imperative you are not missing out on opportunities by just not having a website.
9. Increase Sales
A very important benefit of having a website for small business owners is that it can increase your sales.
Your website will not only increase the customers in your physical location but it will enable you to create a channel where sales are made. The website is either the termination or exit point in the sales funnel channel.
In addition, you got to keep in mind that it´s very difficult to convert sales in social media. There are no available mechanisms to finalize the transition on the spot as opposed to a website, where you can create an e-commerce store for your customers which allows them to pay right away.
10. Growth Opportunity
A website will be the most effective and efficient way to build your professional brand. It´s a great place to provide for potential investors to refer to. It provides all the relevant information they may require, what you have achieve and also what you may achieve.
Also, the brand gives you a business identity and makes it easier for your customers to understand what your business is about.
Want to grow your business? Contact eWebsites and find out more…
A user-friendly, professional designed and functional website will allow you to exponentially grow your business.
If your business doesn´t have a website, it´s probably a good time to change that now.
The benefits of having a website for your small business speak for themselves.
