By Braydn Jones
Are you putting off adding a website to your small business? You should know that your customers expect you to keep up with modern times. If you want to increase your brand awareness, boost revenue, and have a central place to communicate with your customers, then you need to bite the bullet.
There is no reason to put off this vital part of business any longer. With a wide variety of web options available, it’s the best time to add an online presence. If you are still on the fence about spending the money and seeing the need for a small business website, then here are some things you should consider.
All Your Competitors Have Websites
One of the first and foremost reasons to have a webpage is because your competition is already online and vying for customers. Digital marketing is a great way to connect with the public to get them interested in your products and services.
If potential customers are looking for your page and cannot find it, they will look to your competitors for the answers they need. You are slicing your revenues by not taking the time and resources to create a page. It’s estimated that 72 percent of the average customer base shops online, which means it can be an endless source of revenue.
Forget Business Hours – You’ll Be Open 24/7
Remember, people don’t always have time to shop during regular business hours. What about the person that works night shift and does their buying at 3 am on break? They need a way to view your items and read about your company when they are free. Having an online store means that your shop is open even when you are asleep. An online storefront should be part of any marketing strategy as it expands your availability.
You Can Show Up In Google Searches
One of the best reasons to have a small business website is that you will rank on Google. Let’s assume you sell carpet cleaning services. If a person in your area goes to their search engine and types in “carpet cleaning,” then Google is going to give them a list of all the companies in their area.
Companies that have taken the time and effort to create a website stand a greater chance of gaining a customer. It’s estimated that around 81 percent of the population does online research before they engage with a company or product. If you don’t have a webpage, then you are missing out on that online visibility with potential customers.
You’re In Control of Your Online Reputation
Consumers can put their opinions about your business on various reviews sites around the web, and you have no control over their words. However, when it comes to your website, you have absolute power. You get to influence the public’s perception by creating a page that gets your story out there.
You want people to hear your message and know your mission, which allows you to target your demographic audience quicker than sending a brochure in the mail. Additionally, when you link to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to your page, then you are networking to a broader audience that will only increase your bottom line.
You Don’t Need Coding or Technical Skills
One of the main reasons why so many smaller businesses avoid creating a website is because they don’t have any coding or technical skills. Thankfully, with WordPress, you can have everything you need. WordPress makes it easy to edit and change the content on your page.
If you get stuck, there are tons of online tutorials that offer community-based support. Even a person with the most basic skills can master the fundamentals in under 30 minutes. You want to keep your content fresh and new on your site, so using one of these online platforms will help.
FAQ About Web Design
Having a social media presence is a great place to start; however, it doesn’t help with brand promotion as much as a website. You need somewhere to direct the customers to from social media outlets so that they can make purchases, ask questions, and connect with you on a more personal level.
2. Why is my brand representation so important?
Did you know that the average customer will react with your brand at least 5 to 7 times before they engage? That means that they are looking at your social media accounts, webpage, and customer reviews before they make a purchase. You want to show that your company is well established by having a website with the details potential customers are looking for. Brand representation is a huge part of online marketing.
3. Do I need a web designer or can I create my page?
You can create your webpage using one of the many platforms out there. However, remember that a professional team can help to add significantly more value to the site. Your website is a direct reflection of your company, and it’s the first thing customers are going to see when reviewing your business.
It’s often worth the time, money, and effort to have your marketing strategy handled by professionals. After the initial setup, you can use WordPress to keep things fresh, but you want a page that looks professional and not like it was an afterthought.
4. What should my website have?
A website needs a minimum of three things: value proposition, engaging visual content, and a call to action. Visitors want to know about who you are, what you do, and why you’re different. You need to show that value you can provide them. Images can help readers to better understand your value proposition, but also establish the tone of your website and brand.
Finally, you need to help your visitors know what to do after visiting your site. Buy now! Call now! Share our content! Know what action you want a visitor to take on any given page, and make that action easy and obvious for the visitor.
5. Is this going to be a huge time commitment?
You can put as much or as little into your digital marketing plan as you want. Since using WordPress is so easy, you can teach someone in your office to handle updating the basics of your web page. All you need is basic computer knowledge to master this part.
6. Isn’t creating a website expensive? What is it going to cost?
You control how much you spend. You can have someone handle your content design, create an online store, and manage ongoing content. You can also choose to have a firm build the basics and then have someone handle things in-house. It’s worth making the initial investment to have a great product that helps to increase your revenues. You get what you pay for, and when it comes to website design, there is no exception. Though it may require an upfront cost, having a significant online presence is priceless.
Featured photo credit: Depositphotos