It is very difficult these days for a small business to exist without a website.
The internet is the world’s largest, most diverse marketplace–and your customers are online right now, ready to buy what you sell!
The good news is that it doesn’t take much to get started: all you need is an idea for a great website and some basic web design skills. The only thing left to decide is whether or not investing in professional website design services will be worth the cost.
To help you decide, here are the top five reasons your small business needs a website.
Customers Expect You to Have a Website
Before a potential customer will visit you in person they will usually go online and check what your company or brand has to offer. It turns out that more than six out of ten customers expect brands to provide some form of online content. Users first look for a brand’s website for product information and this is often the first interaction they have with your brand. Your customers expect you to have a website.
Some of the most common uses for your website will be to provide information on products and services, a way for customers to get in touch with you, and to better showcase how your business operates.
There are some clear reasons why customers expect you to have a website:
- 60% look online before visiting a company in person (a higher percentage than those who look online after visiting in person).
- Customers expect to find useful information about your business on your website (not least because they are becoming more skeptical of the veracity of what they see elsewhere online).
- If your site is down customers will assume you have closed, so it’s important to have a site that can be easily accessed.
- Use the ability to post corporate videos to make customers aware of who you are and what you do.
- A website is an ideal place for customer testimonials/recommendations (people like to see other people’s opinions about products or services).
We know that your customers expect you to have a website, so if you don’t already have one, you should take the time to set one up. It could be just what your business needs right now.
When customers do look for information on your company or brand, they will usually evaluate it based on what they find on your website. This means the quality of your site is important because potential customers are making judgments about you and your company after reading your online content. Customers expect businesses with websites to have useful information, an easy way to communicate with the company, and a good online presence.
When customers visit your website they are evaluating you based on its design, layout, how quickly it loads, whether or not it is available to them 24/7 (if they are not happy with what they find at least half will say no to your company). Taking the time to make sure your website is up-to-date, relevant, and easy for customers to use will increase customer satisfaction.
Having a Website Gives Your Company Credibility
More people are searching online for things compared to any other medium. If you don’t have a website, potential customers will go to your competitors who do. Having a business website not only provides information about your company but also gives credibility.
For a small business, having a website acts as your company’s online reflection and acts in the same way that a regular printed business card does. A small business website can be used to inform existing and potential customers about what products or services you offer, when you’re open, how they can contact you, and more. Small businesses need to have a website to stay relevant in today’s ever-changing world.
Not having a website can have negative effects on small businesses. Not having one increases the chances of losing potential customers, which means not making money. With so many small businesses failing within the first few years, small companies need to have an online presence.
Websites are Cost-Effective
Companies spend thousands of dollars creating and distributing brochures and print material. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a single advertisement, invest in a website. Your potential customers can learn out about you online. Your website will be accessible to millions of potential customers.
A small business can create a professional website, oftentimes for less money than the price of print advertisements.
Businesses that spend money on print advertisements and brochures must replace these materials every few months. If a small business invests in an informative website, the business can update its website with new or relevant information.
A small business can update its website without expensive fees. Websites are not limited by geographical boundaries so your site is available worldwide 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
Investing in a website will save small businesses money and time. Websites are cost-effective while brochures, print advertisements, and other marketing materials require monthly or yearly fees.
Ranking High in Google Search Results
When you have your website developed and managed by professionals, you may have a better chance of appearing on the first page of the Google Search Results.
Nearly everyone goes on Google to compare before making any purchase. If your website is not listed in the search results, then potential customers will never see it.
Ranking well in Google search results is very important to small businesses because if the website is well-optimized, it can bring in much more business than expected.
Most consumers start their search for products or services by using Google. Anyone who is looking to buy something will typically go straight to the search engine and type in what they are looking for. This means that many consumers will be skipping your website completely if your website is not on the first page of Google.
Here are some tips to improve your website’s performance in the search results:
- Content – Make sure your website has unique and interesting content with a keyword focus. It should be well-written, concise, and informative with an easy-to-navigate layout.
- Titles – Titles are the most important factor in website ranking because they are used to describe what your website offers. Make sure that you include keywords in your website titles, not just for website ranking reasons, but also to help customers find your website when they search.
- Links – Be sure that other websites are linking to yours because links are another website ranking factor. The more quality links pointing to your website, the higher you will rank in the search results.
- Optimization – Every website should be optimized for both usability and website ranking. Make sure there is a friendly navigation bar with an easy-to-find website contact information section so customers can easily learn more about your website and what you have to offer. Make sure the website is easy to navigate and simple for customers to purchase from your website.
- Other – Other website ranking factors include website speed, website age, website security, your website’s overall design, how often your website is updated, number of inbound links from other websites, website size, website structure, website host information, website domain keywords..
Content is the most important website ranking factor because it gives a clear idea to Google what your website is about and what you have to offer. If the content does not include proper SEO or backlinks to other websites then you will never rank well in search results.
Feedback from Your Website Visitors
Include an email link on your website to allow customers to contact you directly about their opinion of your company and website.
Providing a website feedback survey allows website visitors to give you valuable insight and help you improve your website. These website feedback surveys can be a great way to find out what website visitors liked most about your website and website design, as well as what website features they would like you to add.
This website feedback is useful because it allows you the opportunity to communicate directly with website visitors and give them a positive experience with your company.
Asking the right questions is important in website feedback surveys so you can get more detailed information from your website visitors.
Website feedback surveys are handy if you have specific questions you need to be answered, too. Sometimes certain website features are confusing, visitors may not know they exist, or they may need website functions clarified.
It’s important to make sure your questions are clear and easy to answer for your website visitors. A good website feedback question encourages visitors to answer it by making it simple and to the point, with nothing confusing.
You want website feedback questions that will get you the most accurate website feedback.
It’s important to include an “other” option if possible, so your visitors can give any other information or feedback not asked in the specific questions you ask.
Website visitors may be hesitant to answer certain questions and worry they might sound rude or offend someone else with their response. If your website feedback survey blocks visitors from answering certain questions, you won’t get valuable website feedback.
Allowing everyone to answer every question on your website will allow you to get more accurate information for your website feedback surveys.
When possible, try to use open-ended questions in your website feedback surveys so all types of website visitors have the opportunity to respond.
In Conclusion
Websites are a business’s face in the digital world. They need to be attractive and engaging, but also provide great content that is easy for website visitors to find. If website visitors can’t easily navigate your website or find what they’re looking for, they will leave and never come back again. It’s important to know how your website visitors feel when they visit your site so you can make improvements!
