There are countless reasons why small business owners should consider having a website for their company. A website is essentially the phone book of 2018. It’s a place where people find out more information about a company and what they offer.
Consumers expect companies to have a website when they search the web, and often don’t consider a company credible if they don’t. Owning a space on the web is a great way to help grow your brand. Check out these 5 reasons you should consider having a website for your business:
1. First Impressions Matter
What is the first thing you do when you want to learn more about a product or company? Most likely you grab your phone or laptop and do a search online. Eighty-one percent of consumers perform online research before they make a purchase. How do you feel when you can’t find a company’s website?
Having a presence online is vital to any business because it helps leave your potential customers with a good first impression. If you don’t have a website, the likelihood of showing up on a Google search page is essentially zero. Having a website helps bring you into those search results for potential customers to see you and consider for their purchase.
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2. Online “Window” Shopping
Many years ago, it was common for people to take a walk down a street and look around at different businesses that they had an interest in buying products from. Fast forward to 2018, and that is no longer the case for most people.
Online searches and company websites give people access to “online window shopping”. Potential customers don’t have to leave the comfort of their homes to browse for products they are interested in. Consumers are constantly visiting websites such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, Yelp, and others researching where they can make their next purchase
3. Business Credibility
Just as you would expect to find a credible business in the phone book years ago, most would expect to find your business online today with a website. When people search for your business and can’t find a website, it may raise some suspicion as to why.
Having an online presence is just as important as being listed in the phone book was years ago, or handing out business cards.
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4. Collecting Leads
This may not be at the top of your priority list as a small business owner, but it is an important component to help grow your business. Most people don’t want to spend the time filling out a piece of paper with their contact information in a store. But online is a different story.
Having a place such as a website, where you can collect current customers and potential customer’s information, and send them something for signing up, is a great opportunity. People are more willing to give out their personal information if they know they are getting something in return. What you send them doesn’t have to cost you anything. It can be something as simple as a newsletter or information on your business or products.
The added bonus is, you now have a growing database of client information that you can use to communicate and keep growing your relationships.
And last but not least…
5. Showcase your Products and Services
You have successfully started a business, so why not show it off? More and more consumers are preferring to make purchases online. Having a website is the perfect way to showcase your products (and not to mention sell them). This is a great place to offer potential customers some background information on your company and products.
Websites are also a place where current customers can leave reviews and testimonials to help others get a feel for what they will be receiving from you when they make a purchase. Even if they decide not to make a purchase, once they see your products, they are more likely to remember you for the next time they need to purchase what you offer.
Have you gone back and forth about creating a website for your business? Did you know that 30% of small businesses have a website and spend less than $500 every year to launch and maintain the site? There are many great resources out there that can make the process of building a website, painless. These are just some of the many reasons that having an online presence for your business makes sense.
Still have questions about building a website? We would be more than happy to help answer those questions.
The star behind Bull Moose Marketing. Experienced traveler, whiskey connoisseur and selective herbivore. ? Stay tuned for my new podcast, "The Scenic Route", on cultural tourism and economic development. ?
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