DO I NEED A WEBSITE FOR MY BUSINESS?

13 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE A WEBSITE

People used online services more than ever in 2020. Technology and the internet have influenced how we work and live, and one of the biggest is how businesses communicate with their customers and attract new ones.

86% of UK adults use the internet, and we spent an average of 3 hours 37 minutes online each day, this usage has been increasing year on year since 2017. Although mobile technologies mean wider access on the go, still 61% of adults use both computers and mobile devices to browse the internet.

85% of internet users used a smartphone to go online. One in ten adults use only a smartphone to go online. Reliance on smartphones to access the internet is more prevalent among younger people.

The impact of the pandemic on spending meant that UK online sales rose by 48% to nearly £113 billion in 2020 based on the Online Nation 2021 report from Ofcom. This represented a huge increase on the average annual increase of 13% in the previous four years.

Is your business taking advantage of the technologies available to you?

Do you have a website? Is it up to date?

Do you think having a website works for your business?

Do you allocate a budget to ensuring you keep up to date and promote your business?

If you answered No to any of the questions, then the stats from the latest Online Nation report speak for themselves you need to consider taking advantage of all the online technologies available to your business.

WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE A WEBSITE FOR YOUR BUSINESS

1. A BUSINESS DOMAIN NAME - PROFESSIONAL IMAGE

Choosing the right domain name for many businesses is critical, easy to remember, short enough to type quickly, all things to consider. For many start-ups its now a part of choosing their company name. Why choose a company name if you can’t get an appropriate matching domain name.

Having a domain name adds credibility. In a survey 65% regard a company branded email as more credible than a free email such as Gmail, or Yahoo. It also helps with your brand awareness.

2. IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS CREDIBILITY WITH A WEBSITE

A website is your online business address. This is where your customers, your members, and potential new customers go to find you online. A website helps you identify your brand, what you do, how to get in touch, and provides other useful information.

Many small business owners think that having a Facebook page is enough, but a 2015 survey showed that 84% of consumers believe that having a website makes your business more credible.

3. GROW YOUR BUSINESS

A website is a great way to help you grow your website. You can tell your visitors why you started this business, your goals, your experience and expertise, about your products and services, what is happening within the business and the industry, and what vacancies you might have to grow your team.

4. BUILD BRAND LOYALTY

Loyalty is achieved when customers know they are dealing with a company that understands their needs, continues to strive to improve, and others great customer service all of which can be demonstrated on your website. How to get in touch, surveys and more are all features that can be used to build brand loyalty.

5. BUSINESS PROMOTION

A website can be a valuable resource to support your traditional marketing methods. Your marketing flyers can have a QR code and your website address for people to find out more about an event or service. You can add links or QR codes in your brochures to ensure your customers are getting the most up to date information about products and services although print still has its place, the information may become outdated whilst in circulation.

Online marketing methods are often faster, more efficient to update, distribute and inexpensive. Using online marketing can funnel new visitors to your website, this might be achieved by social media, blogs, e-mail marketing, and online advertising.

6. LEAD & SALES GENERATION

A website can generate your business new customers, and therefore sales revenue. Whether your business is service based or product based, with a well-constructed website you can funnel your customers on a journey whether it’s a shop and completing a sale by checking out, or you get the customer to make an enquiry

7. SHOWCASE YOUR WORK

One of the biggest benefits of your website or online presence is the ability to showcase your work and experience. The use of pictures, case studies, reviews all help to demonstrate your service or products are what the customer is looking to purchase. This also helps with qualifying the right kind of customers for your business.

8. SUPPORT AND ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND

Many small business owners make the mistake of not taking their brand seriously until they gain some business traction. When you decide to have a website, you have to give your brand, the identity and the message you want to portray some serious thought, which allows you adapt and refresh your brand very quickly before going out to the mass market.

9. EXPAND MARKET REACH

Deciding on where your marketplace is, is often a key part of your business plan. Are you going to be a local business, national or global? Even with a local business the exposure that a website and/or other online presence gives you is more than you can ever achieve with traditional word of mouth, signage or foot fall.

10. EXTEND YOUR OPENING HOURS

A website means that your business is accessible 24/7. If you operate a service-based business most potential customers will conduct research before contacting you to buy, all of which can be done using the information provided online. The benefits to retailers are obvious online sales are 24/7 and not restricted by traditional shop opening times. A website offers customers a convenient way to browse, shop at their convenience at times to suit them.

11. UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS

With traditional marketing strategies sometimes, it can be hard to quantify the results of your marketing efforts, whereas with a website data is collected and its possible to understand where visitors come from, what time of day they are looking, what devices they use, what services/products/information they are looking at on your site. This not only allows you to understand them better, but also to adapt your website to serve them better.

12. EXTEND YOUR SERVICES OR PRODUCT RANGE

Using a website, it is so much easier to add trial new products and services, allowing you the opportunity to test the marketplace without huge traditional marketing costs, initially appealing to your loyal existing customer base and those who find you online.

13. COST V REVENUE

For many businesses cost seems to be the factor that detracts them from investing not only initially in a website but the ongoing maintenance, and marketing costs.

However, without the correct level of investment you could be restricting your growth, your sales, and much more. A website is not an expense it is an investment in your business success and as such you should expect a return on your investment over a period.

A professionally well designed web site that promotes your brand, has the right features and functions for your customers, is fast to load and is optimised to work in the online space has to be a worthwhile investment, opting for a free or cheap solution very seldom has any real long term benefits or support.