As most of you know, having a website has a lot of advantages. But then again, you still occasionally come across a company that doesn't have one.
These are usually smaller businesses or sole proprietorships. It's not that these people don't see the point, but when you ask them why, they say that "for some reason, it never got around to it."
Do you have a business or organization - and no website yet?
Then it's like your business doesn't exist. People today look for everything online. And then if you don't have a website online, it seems impossible to survive in the year 2016.
Here are 10 reasons in advance why having a website for your business is just the right thing to do.
1. Reach more people
This is one of the most important reasons to put your website online. People are searching online for what you can do for them. No website? Then they won't find you. Do you have one? Then they can contact you quickly and easily.
Therefore, remember that you display your phone number and/or email address prominently on your page. And that you also set up a contact form where they can leave their information.
2. You are more accessible to those potential customers
People want to learn more about the people or companies from whom they want to buy something. Whether that's products or services doesn't matter.
Because when you go to meet people in person, they look you up online beforehand to learn more about you. And when they do, they best end up on site that exudes professionalism.
3. Strengthen your image and credibility
When people are looking for something, they immediately go online. Again, you have an opportunity to exhibit your image, skill and credibility. Do that on your website with case studies, testimonials and stories about how you already helped clients achieve results. Don't miss this opportunity, or your prospects will end up with competitors who do have websites.
4. Seize your opportunity and make a great first impression
You already knew this: You only have one chance to leave a positive impression. And that goes for your site, too, of course. Every time a customer visits your page, they need to be convinced through there to choose your products or services. (And not someone else's.) Therefore, invest in a quality website created by experts. Of course, this is even more important if you sell purely online.
5. Share your expertise
A website with a blog is a great way to share information about what you know. This gives prospects a chance to learn about you - and more importantly, how you can help them. In addition, a blog also helps with SEO because it helps the search engines find and display your website in search results, which drives more traffic to your website.
6. Save time
Time, something an entrepreneur is always short of. But having a website can save you very much time. Because providing information to your customers always takes time. Whether by phone, mail or face-to-face.
With a website, you can put a lot of information about your company and product online for your customers to access day or night. You can also provide a section with frequently asked questions to make things even easier for customers.
7. Save money
Have you ever advertised through print, radio, TV or any other medium? Then you know it's expensive. Look, you have to invest in ads, but that quickly costs a pretty penny. If you have a website, promoting your business becomes less expensive. Many channels on which you can start advertising online are sometimes even free. (Think Social Media.)
8. Sell more
For your leads and customers, it's just more convenient if you have a website. Make it easy for them when they want to buy something from you. Most people are more likely to look at your website than jump in their car for a trip to your physical store. Customers also often like it better to look at what you have to offer at their leisure, rather than being immediately overwhelmed by a sales pitch.
9. Sell around the clock, worldwide
Most businesses are (hopefully) popular locally. But what about potential customers outside your city? Or maybe even in another country?
With a website, you reach people all over the world. Even when you're asleep, people can find out what you can do for them. Because you don't have to close the doors of your website. Customers can go there at any time of the day to see what you can do for them. Just make sure there is plenty of info about your products and services on your website as well.
10. Get to know (the behavior of) your customers better
It is important for every business owner to know who their customers really are. A website can chart this perfectly. Thanks to tracking software, such as Google Analytics, you can discover a wealth of information. With this, you can work to better meet the needs of current and potential customers.
In addition, you can have customers subscribe to newsletters to keep them informed of what's going on within your company.
Summary
As you can see, having a Web site is necessary for any business. But regardless, having a Web site does not simply mean that every Web site is good. Because let's face it, some sites just don't pull off anything at all.
If they are not outdated or cluttered, they sometimes have the "Free website by..." statement or they leave anything but a brilliant first impression. You really can't afford this in 2016. In fact, sometimes you even lose customers.
If you really want to reap the benefits of a website for your business, it must convey your online presence in the right way. It must not only be credible and show the results you achieve for your customers, but also ensure that customers can easily contact you.
On top of that, it must be optimized for the search engines so that people can effectively find it when they search online. And, on top of that, it should also be easy to update your site yourself, without needing a web developer every time you want to change something.
At BME, we build professional websites and web shops.
Call +32 (0) 89 238 635 for more info.
