If this were the only reason on the list, it would be enough. Six out of ten consumers expect brands to provide online content about their business on some form of digital property, and more than half head straight to the brand’s website for product information. If you don’t have a business website, today’s digital-savvy (and impatient) customers may look elsewhere.
Reason #2 – Your competitors all have company websites.
Consumers typically start their buying journey with research and recommendations from peers and social network connections.
Studies show that once a consumer has an idea of what they need or want, they start researching, and 72 percent of them go online to find educational material, reviews, and testimonials, according to a recent report.
So if you’re not staying competitive with your competition, you’re giving shoppers a reason to buy from another brand.
Reason #3 – Online Brochure
Companies spend millions of dollars creating brochures and other advertising materials. The expense grows enormously when the distribution of these printed materials is factored in. Since you don’t have an enourmous advertising budget you can skip that entirely by having a website. Your potential customers can find out about you and any of your products online through friends, contacts and social media, then they will want to check out your website.
Reason #4 – More Customers
More than 2.4 billion people use the internet every day, and some 90% of those have purchased something, or contacted a company, online in the last 12 months. So by not having a website, you will be missing out on the proverbial big piece of the pie.
Reason #5 – goodwill
Have you tried getting a business loan recently? It’s not easy, but if you try and the bank manager asks to see your website, you better have a pretty good one. It doesn’t just stop with the bank, without a website the perceived value of your business will be lower in everyone’s eyes – especially your customers.
Reason #6 – Showcase your products and services.
By having a website potentially thousands of people are going to see it. You are able to influence people’s decisions and educate them. You know that great feeling you get when people recognize your work? Well, by having a website you can show off what you do and take pride in your work. Not only can you display your products or outline your services in detail with beautiful images, but you can also provide short video tutorials or downloadable PDF instructions to give hesitant customers no reason to go somewhere else to purchase.
Reason #7 – It is always accessible
A website is available to both your regular and potential customers 24/7/365 providing them with the convenience of reviewing your products and services when your store or office is closed. With today’s busy lifestyles, this is a great selling point when making a purchase decision. Never put up the “sorry we’re CLOSED” sign again.
Nobody wants to work at 3 a.m., but many customers enjoy shopping then. Having a business website or ecommerce store means that you can sell products all the time — not simply between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
An online store can mean a dramatic boost in sales, especially when you factor in additional customers who are not restricted by geography. Your online presence may also supports marketing campaigns, coupons, customer service, client relationship building, brand recognition, and almost every other element of your current revenue stream. Combining your website with marketing tools (digital and traditional), like email and social media marketing, direct mail and phone marketing helps you reach new customers and generate repeat business.
Reason #8 – Communicating with Customers
You control the narrative. It’s true that you cannot control what others say about you on social media channels, but you can influence public perception by creating your own story via a business website. With a blog or even a feed on your site, you can inform your customers of your latest offers, products, promotions, events, photos or other content. A company blog helps business owners get their message, mission, and personality in front of their target audience faster than print ads or snail mail brochures. Plus, social icons linking to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other networking platforms make sharing your content easier for your visitors who like what they see.
Reason #9 – Marketing
The internet has opened up a whole new world of marketing that didn’t exist before. Your website can attract new business by using a whole host of low cost marketing techniques.
Reason #10 – Customer Service
You can significantly reduce the cost of customer service if you have a ticket system or if you have a (FAQ) frequently asked questions page on your site. Providing information to your customers takes time, whether it’s on the phone, face-to-face, in a brochure, or in emails. With an online catalogue and FAQ you can provide lots of information about your products and services. Once your website is up and running, it is available to your customers indefinitely, saving you time. And what is time? Time is money!
Reason #11 – Create a resource center for your staff.
In addition to helping customers, your business website can also benefit your own employees.
Create an orphan page (one that is not visible anywhere on the site so it can’t be found unless someone is given the direct link) with self-service videos, instructional materials, or even internal forms to help your team learn everything they need to know on their own schedules.
Reason #12 – email@myveryowndomain.com
I know there are other ways to do it, but if you have a website, you can have your own email address. It’s more professional and easier to remember. I know you like your irock123456@yahoo.com, and while it may be cool it does not appear professional to your prospective or current customers.
Reason #13 – You’ll show up in Google search results.
Consider this: 81 percent of consumers perform online research before making a purchase. That means they go to Google and type in one or more keywords, like “best leather shoes” or, if they know what they want, “handcrafted Italian leather women’s shoes in Los Angeles.”
If you don’t have a website for your business, the chances of showing up on the search engine results page (SERP) are zero. But if you have a site, you can optimize it for search engines, thereby increasing your chances of appearing at the top of Google’s results and getting more visibility with potential customers.
Long-tail keywords, meta descriptions, and titles are just some of the things you can customize on your site to improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
Reason #14 – Beat the Big Guys
Have you ever wanted to get into business, but don’t know how to compete with all the big names out there? By creating an incredibly beautiful website with a solid strategy behind it you can smash the big guys to pieces. You have no chance of building bigger skyscrapers, but your website can break down the perceived wall between you and them.
Reason #15 – Instant Credibility
Have you ever had difficulty making that sale? Or convincing someone that you are the real deal. By having a well structured website you can foster instant credibility with anyone. You can provide the ultimate proof that you are, in fact, very real and ready to take care of them.
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