A website provides a variety of benefits for small businesses, and most of these benefits grow rapidly from year to year, just like the Internet.
Ten reasons why you need a website for your small business ?
1. A website makes you look professional
84% of today’s consumers think that a website makes your business more credible than companies that only have social media profiles. Your website is also the perfect place to showcase any professional certifications or awards your business may have.
In addition, having your own website allows you to create a branded email address (such as [email protected]), which adds a level of professionalism to all of your correspondence, especially if you have already created a personal email address for doing business. is used. , In addition, some email marketing tools no longer allow users to send emails from personal addresses. This means that if you want to take advantage of the power of email marketing, you will need a business email account.
2. Your website can attract new customers through Google
You may be happy with the current size of your business, but every company experiences customer turnover. To encourage continued success, you need to attract new customers, and one of the best ways to do this is to make yourself more visible on Google.
Social media networks are indexed on Google, and social media posts can be found with search engines, but a website gives you access to many more tools and strategies for search engine optimization (SEO). And SEO is the key to getting your business featured on the front page of Google.
3. You can clearly showcase your products and services
You can show potential customers what they’ll get when they work with you by displaying high-quality photography on your website. You can also use your website design, along with the featured images, to give people a sense of what it feels like to enter your physical location. This works particularly well if your brand is closely tied to the “feel” of your location,
4. You can display your best reviews and testimonials prominently on your website
Displaying your best reviews and/or testimonials prominently on your website is a great way to establish social proof. This might come in the form of personal customer testimonials
Publishing your best reviews on your website also serves the secondary purpose of building a permanent collection. This means that even if third party review sites are shut down in the future, you will still have access to your best reviews.
5. A website can encourage customers to contact you
A website is a great place to make your contact information easily available to potential customers. You can even publish your contact information in a header or footer so it appears on every single page.
6. You can integrate your website with Google Maps so people can find you more easily
A website lets you embed maps directly into your content. Some businesses have a map embedded directly onto their home page.
An embedded map makes it easy for people who don’t spend a lot of time in your area to find your business. This is particularly great if you host events, as they might attract people who wouldn’t otherwise spend time in the neighborhood your business is in.
7. Your website establishes your place in your industry
By 2021, 71% of small businesses have websites and 81% of customers research things online before buying. In other words, if your competitors are online and you are not, those competitors get their first interactions with customers.
Creating a website gives you the opportunity to share what your business is about, establish your role in the industry, and connect with customers who need you.
8. A website is no longer intimidating to create and manage
Modern website builders make it easy for you to build an attractive, mobile-friendly site without any knowledge of code. Even WordPress, the most popular way to make a website, has transitioned to a block editor. In other words, it has never been simpler to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing website.
9. A website ensures your success over the long term
As of January 2021, approximately 4.66 billion people (59.5% of the global population) used the Internet. In many countries this number is much higher. For example, more than 90% of people in the US are online.
Without a website, your business is invisible to these people. As we move into the digital age, your business will be invisible to everyone unless you invest in a website.
So in order to remain competitive in this rapidly growing digital world, your business needs to be online.
10. You can get all of these benefits without spending a fortune
Creating a website is never easier than it used to be; It is also more affordable. If you’re willing to follow a simple, non-technical DIY approach, you can build a website for less than $100/year.
WordPress, which is again the most popular way to build a website, is 100% free for the core software. If you add a free WordPress theme like Neve or Hestia and affordable website hosting, you can be up and running for very little cost.