Before I begin, I would like to say there are more than 10 reasons a business of any stature and size should have a website, but to not throw too much information at you immediately I’ll focus on the 10 strongest reasons.
1 – A Website is an online brochure
When all is said the very basic duty of a website is to provide information and promote, whether that’s a company or any other organisation, each one would put up a webpage or a website, to get its name/brand/identity out into the world.
In past years brochures and flyers were printed to advertise business’s, although these were good for their time, the internet now means a website can reach potential customers on the other side of the world as soon as it goes live – try doing that with an A5 flyer! The printing and shipping alone would take a good amount of time and then you would need to find a person whom you could address it too, not easy.
A website can be built as small or large as required by a company and then added to as and when needed, as the business changes and grows, a website can also be adapted and updated constantly. Any news can be placed on the website and be available immediately for all customers to access, this includes updates on blogs, posts or critical information, such as power failures for schools etc.
Not only does a website design have the standard text, like brochures, but the images and graphics can be arranged to suit, whereas with a brochure a lot of shuffling and rearranging is required to get all the relevant information on a limited amount of space.
In short a website is literally a digital brochure with more advanced graphics available, as well as virtual tours and animation.
2 – Having a website ultimately brings more customers on board
To put this point across easily, approximately 2.4 billion people use the internet per day, statistics show of these 90% have made a transaction with a company in the last 12 months. I cannot think of any other means where you can have your business available to such a vast audience. It’s the completely other end of the scale to a shop front or a brochure. It’s the first representation of your business, so a good web design helps, we all know first impressions count.
Being online brings you into a whole new domain, where you can interact not only with clients but also other businesses, making the world wide web a great place to network. A website can use certain online marketing techniques that cannot be used elsewhere, for example, real-time competitions, and the more versatile your marketing the more customers you attract. Being on the net makes it easier for anybody to find you, obvious, but very very true.
Everybody likes to use a business that’s easily accessible and the added email address and other useful information a website offers, gives customers that feeling that they can contact the business whenever they want.
You may feel your business or company and what you offer cannot be offered up online, but rest assured pretty much everything and anything can be made available on the web and unlike a shop, floor space is not limited and your web design can be any size required to best sell or promote your products and services.
3 – A business with a website looks more professional
The better the website appears the more customers will be enticed to view it and in turn engage with the business. A websites first page is a business’s virtual shop front and should be used as such to promote what you do. This works the other way as well of course, if your site isn’t built right then you will turn potential customers away. A good site is a good first impression and as most first time customers appear through websites it needs to stand out and look its best.
A company without a website appears like some kind of Delboy project making potential customers turn their backs and walk. In this day and age a website is expected and classed as the norm. Technology has come a long way, lets make the most of it.
A company with a website is found more attractive because it immediately becomes more accessible, to everyone.
4 – A website can be a 24/7 shop
It is a an extra shop but only bigger, better and constantly open 24/7, 7 days a week.
Having a shop or a warehouse is great for any business but to man either of these 365 days of the year would be extremely hard work, that’s where a website comes into play – E-Commerce. With no rent fees or pay roll to extend to, a good site sits on the web and sells for you.
Transactions can be processed and orders taken constantly and they will sit on the site ready for you to deal with when you come in. This ease of access prevents customers from thinking you are closed and they need to go elsewhere – as they would with a shop with its closed sign swinging in the door! In this current climate we all lead such busy lives, customers like to know that with a few clicks they are in the process of getting whatever it is they need, its a reassurance that your business can be contacted at any time via its site or corresponding email address.
Couple this functionality with a good web design and you’ll be using one of the best business marketing strategies.
5 – Improve customer relations with a website
As mentioned the ease of access is the point of sale for many customers, nobody likes to be ignored and its good to know when the business is in theory “closed for the day” the website is still available and accessible. A company with a website is generally more readily available to all. The knowledge of knowing a business can be contacted 24/7 keeps the customers confidence in your business high.
A lot of sites have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page with a list of common questions on there for people to read, this helps customers answer their own questions, very useful when you pick up the phone several times a day to answer the same questions about your products or services. This makes the customer secure and they can then feel safe enough to progress their order further alone, freeing up time for other things to be dealt with.
News bulletins can be placed on the site as and when needed and this keeps the communication between client and company constantly flowing, improving customer relations as they always feel they are in the know and that the business cares about them.
6 – With a site comes a relevant and corresponding email address
Once you have a website ready to go you can also have an email address based on the website name. You can create your own but we all know most email address names are already in use on the web, which leaves you with limited choice and you can be very lucky to find a name that is relevant to your business name and one that looks professional.
With a website your email address ties itself to the site thus making it clear to everyone it is you and not another Tom, Dick or Harry with a similar company name less one digit! Email addresses with the website as its domain shout out that the customer is on the right page and not on a competitors.
Using your website in the email address opens up the door for the customer to come to your site and see what else you have to offer. An address with the business name also makes it easier for customers to remember and return to when they haven’t got your business card at hand.
7 – The internet is the biggest platform to promote your business from
As previously mentioned there is no other way to broadcast your entire business products or services to so many people all at the same time other than a web site. Having a website makes virtual networking accessible with other companies and customers alike and concreting your online presence. Product promotion is very simple, done through various social media accounts and blogs all connected and advertising your website.
Not only does a website increase your relations with the general internet population but also with your past customers whom have been with you from day one and like to keep up to date with the comings and goings of the business. A good web design will cater for past, present and future clientele in mind.
8 – A current website is a newsletter for your business
As mentioned earlier your website and the complete structure of your online marketing can be updated on a regular basis, be that monthly, daily or even hourly, what ever suits your business best. This means clients and the public (potential customers) can be told what’s been happening with the company and can be as up to date information as you wish. News given this way-via the horses mouth is relevant, present and correct.
Any news of relevance to your business can be broadcast to a large audience very easily, via blogs, social media accounts, images or other online marketing techniques appropriate. Digital Newsletters are great ways to keep the public interested in what you offer and provides a great opportunity to become go to source of relevant news in your sector.
9 – Your website is your website
On creating a web design a lot of input and contribution is part made by yourself, so only things you want on your site are there. This means its all in your control. Everything you feel you want or need is placed on the site in a way that best promotes your business and uses online marketing strategies best suited for what you need. Your designer or agency should be provide provide you with guidance on which features would best suit your and your potential customers, their team should help to walk you through the various options, together you should create that is designed solely with your business needs and goals in mind.
Unfortunately other platforms primarily used to promote your business with are not done so by your control. Blogs and social media accounts from competitors and the public can show anything they want to broadcast. Pages and posts created by you and placed on other sites can be deleted without your knowing, losing you valuable online exposure.
Having a website gives the customer a sure place to find reliable accurate up to date and relevant information about your company, if built correctly it should serve you and your customers perfectly.
10 – Websites provide accurate information on your visitors
All websites obtain data from all sorts of sources, be it numbers or values, and all this data can then be used for the good of the business. Traffic statistics are very precious and can be used in one form or another to better your business, bringing in more footfall and aiding business marketing. Not only does the figures show who accesses your website and how they access your website, but also shows where they go on your site. This in turn can aid you in creating a better experience for the customer the next time they arrive.
You can also discover a host of additional information from your customer, through the use of forms or surveys, customers will gladly tell you what problem bugs them the most, or what new service they are interested in, if you don’t ask you’ll never know and why waste the opportunity to improve your business.