8 reasons your small business needs a website
As a small business owner, you may be wondering if you need a website. After all, can't you just rely on social media or word-of-mouth to get your name out there? The answer is: no, you really can't. For small businesses, having a website is more than just a credibility booster. At this point, it's basically a requirement. Here are 8 reasons why your small business needs a website:
- Help your customers find you on Google
Nowadays, people turn to Google to find products and services near them. Consumers want to spend their money at local, independently owned businesses, but they don’t want to waste time walking around to find the perfect spot or risk spending money at a store they don’t like.
People need to locate your business and confirm it exists before they head out to make a purchase. Creating a central location to store your address, phone number, contact form, products/service list, and prices will open the door for people to find your business online.
- Look professional and credible
First impressions matter. Businesses that design a website with nice aesthetics and relevant content will have an easier time drawing customers. Avoid overcrowding the site with pop-ups, banner ads, and suspicious links, as that immediately distracts from your product and turns off customers. Also, try to avoid obvious errors in your writing, like typos or simple grammar mistakes.
Remember: the more polished your website looks, the more likely customers will trust you, and the easier it will be to sell your products.
- Manage your brand and reputation
Anyone can say anything - good or bad - about your business on social media and other venues. With a website, you can control the narrative about your brand. For example, you can display awards and press clippings, post customer testimonials, and link to your social media channels. You can also use your website to address any negative reviews or feedback. By having a central location to manage your brand identity, you can take charge of how people perceive your business.
- Showcase your products
The best way to sell products or services is to show them off. By creating an online storefront, you can give customers a taste of what they can expect when they visit your physical location. Use high-quality photos, videos, and precise descriptions to capture the look and feel of your products. You can also use your website to run promotions or offer coupons to drive traffic to your store.
- Get to know your customers
Websites make it easy to collect data about the people who visit your site. Using Google Analytics or another similar program, you can track where your visitors are coming from, what pages they're looking at, how long they stay on your site, and other important information.
All of this data can be extremely valuable in helping you make decisions about your business. For example, if you see many people leaving your site after looking at a certain product, you may reconsider your pricing or how that product is presented.
Surveys are another great way to collect customer data. Adding a survey to your website lets you gather information about your customers' preferences, likes, and dislikes. This data can help you make decisions about your products, pricing, and marketing strategy.
- Make yourself available
The easier people get in touch with you, the more likely they are to do business with you. Whether through a contact form, an email address, or a phone number, your website can list ways for people to reach out. Moreover, customers expect to find accurate information about your company at all hours. An online presence for your business allows customers to browse your products and learn about your business 24/7 - you're not limited to daytime hours like many physical stores.
- Reach new customers
A website is a great way to reach more customers. If you have a physical store, you may only be able to get people who live near you. But with a website, you can sell your products to people all over the country (or even the world). If you're selling a product or service that can be delivered to customers outside of your store, you need to have an online presence; otherwise, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to reach new customers.
- Most of your competition has one
According to Top Design, 71% of small businesses have a website, and about half of those that don’t are planning to get one. That means you're at a disadvantage if you don't have a website. Your competition is already reaching more customers than you are, and they're likely to steal away even more customers if you don't keep up.
The digital future of business is here. Customers expect your business to have a website whether or not you’re selling products online. As a business owner, you can take advantage of this trend and design a website that boosts your presence and reputation.
If you’re unsure about what tools to use or are struggling to find an agency to help you, schedule a free consultation with Hansa. Sign up today and we’ll talk you through everything in more detail!
