Written by Lorna Marty
| updated on
Even now, many small businesses still do not have a website.
Which is an amazing thought.
We work a lot with builders and often they say, they do not feel they need a website as their work comes from word of mouth.
That may be true, but I would still argue you need a website.
Even a referral would be checked out first on the web!
So what are the benefits for a small business of having a website?
1. Improve Business Credibility
Your website is essentially your online business address, allowing you to be easily found.
The HOME page is your shop front specifying exactly what you offer.
Your ABOUT US page tells your visitors all about you & your business, your story and your highlights.
And your CONTACT Us page clearly lays out how anyone can get in touch with you.
So, even with the simplest website, it will improve your credibility and is instant virtual proof that you exist.
What about a Facebook business page instead, I hear you ask.
Whilst a Facebook page is important, it is not enough for your business credibility – plus, with social media you do not own it or control the experience.
Having a website means you have your own domain and you own your website leads. It is yours!
2. Promote Your Business to your Target Audience
Traditional forms of marketing (such as press releases, print ads and flyers) have their place, but are expensive and are not as far-reaching.
Online digital marketing is faster, more efficient and less expensive.
Think of your website as the nucleus – with all your marketing efforts circling around it, pushing potential customers to your site.
Once on your site you have the chance to capture them as leads and hopefully convert them into customers.
Here are some of the most popular online marketing tools that you can use to push inbound traffic to your website:
- Social Media – Around a third of the world’s population is on social media
- Blogging – Producing consistent, quality blog posts will get you site traffic
- Email Marketing – Email marketing is 40 times more effective in acquiring customers than Facebook
- Use Videos – Having a video on your home page can deliver a message quicker & faster than any other method.
Also, content that you produce for your website can be easily repurposed on your social media channels or indeed later on your site.
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3. Your website can be your Complete Business Hub
Your website might start out as online marketing brochure, but it can evolve into your complete business hub.
If your website is built with WordPress it can grow as your business needs grow, as WP is super powerful and super flexible.
What can you do with your business website?
- Sell memberships & subscriptions
- Provide a showroom of all your products
- Be a resource to educate your site visitors with blogs, e-books, modules, and training manuals
- Allow sales through e-commerce
- Receive resumes and pre-qualify them through an Applicant Tracking System or ATS
- Provide social proof via testimonials and customer reviews
- Organise customer information with a CRM
- Give your audience an interactive experience using such elements as 360-degree images and videos
- Provide great customer support through such channels as live chat, email, or built-in forms
- And more!
4. Gain Valuable Insights about your Customers
If you install such tools as Google Analytics into your site, you will be able to collect data on your visitors.
Not only how many visitors are going to your site but also:
- Where do they come from?
- What are the demographics?
- Are they using mobile or desktop?
- Which types of content are they interested in?
- What is the frequency of cart abandonment?
Installing other tools, such as heatmaps, will allow you to see how your site is working for your visitors.
5. Provide Personalised Email Addresses for Your Employees
This may seem like a small detail – but having a business email address in line with your domain name is crucial.
An gmail.com email address does not really look that professional:
When we setup your website, we can setup your personalised email addresses.
In conclusion …
Some small business owners cite cost as a reason to forgo having a website. But you have to think of a website as an investment which will pay dividends over time.
For your investment to pay, you have to make sure your website is professionally designed, reflects your brand, functions well (with fast download speed) and has high quality content.
Your website is the face of your business, so hire a professional web designer to build a you a beautiful, effective website that you can update yourself – and be proud of!
We can help you plan your website.
Book a consultation