Are you a small business owner? Do you have a website for the business? According to research done by the research firm Clutch, 46% of companies don’t have a site. They argue that it’s either too expensive or not relevant to their line of business.
Regardless of whether your company has four employees or less, you still need a website. Here are some of the reasons why you need one:
1. There are more internet users
As of October 2018, according to Statista, there were 4.2 billion active internet users; with 3.4 billion being social media users. Therefore, there is a need for every small business owner to have their website. It increases the reach.
Nowadays, we all expect to find all the information we need online. Therefore, people will also expect your business to be online. This is why you need a website to help people find your business and see your products and services.
A Site helps people Trust the Company more
Nowadays, almost everybody expects businesses to have a website. Not having a website makes your business look a bit suspicious and raise questions.
People could take it that you can’t afford to put up one. With the number of users rising, it is almost a guarantee that if you don’t have a website, nobody will take your business seriously.
A website gives you credibility and transparency. It makes people get to understand your business more.
3. You need a platform that answers some basic questions quickly
A website will contain all your business information. People want to spend as less time as possible when figuring out your business.
There is a contact section on a website answering the questions: “who are you?” “what you offer” “how to contact you.” All these questions are answered on the website such that a potential client has an idea of what you do.
Your company’s website should be in a position to answer all those questions.
4. It gives you a chance for the lead generation
As a business owner, you know that customers need to be nurtured to purchase your products or services. Lead generation involves attracting and converting people into prospects.
When customizing your website, there’s an option of giving your clients the liberty to sign up. This is an excellent way of collecting emails which in turn helps you have subscribers. Growing your email list helps you promote your clients and increase reach.
To add to your subscriber list, you can introduce discounts or hold a contest. Email marketing is a powerful tool to get people interested in your products. Remember to make your emails easy to share. This helps increase your click-through rate which in turn leads to getting clients.
5. You get to control the narrative
Most times, you have no control over what people say about your business on social media. However, you can influence the general public perception through creating your own story through your business website.
You can have a blog section which helps people get to know what you do, what you advocate for and the company’s mission and objectives.
While having a website is a priority, link your social platforms with the site so that sharing can be faster and simpler.
You can consider hiring a social media manager just in case you have no clue on how to get clients there. This could mean more funds. It’s essential to have a good credit score since it increases your chances of obtaining funds from lenders.
However, if the information is inaccurate on your credit report, having a credit repair company could make work easier and ensure your report is accurate. Look up this site for more details.
6. Keeping up with your competitors
Who are your competitors? Do they all have websites? Most likely. To stay in the game for long, you need to have a site. The aim of every business owner is being at the top of their industry. As such, having a website helps you stay in the competition.
When people search for products like what you offer, they will get various search results of different companies offering them. However, the question is, will your products be seen? If you don’t have a website, they definitely will not be seen.
The aim of having a website is ensuring that you satisfy your consumers. Don’t just get a website because it is cheap. Invest in a good web hosting company as well as a good company name.
It’s advisable to hire a great web developer and designer as the appearance and content are what attracts people to a website. Make sure the loading speed is high to reduce the number of people leaving even before it loads.
If you still don’t have a website, consider having one and see your ROI change. It will propel your business higher.