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by Holly Czuba
We still run into business owners who don’t have and/or don’t believe they need a website. In fact, 25% of small business owners don’t have websites.
Not sure your business needs a website? Well- there are PLENTY of reasons.
Here are 15 to start with…
Advertising 24/7/365: Your website is always available. Window shoppers abound on the web, but without a digital storefront (aka – your website), you’re missing out!
Promote Your Products & Services: A website allows you to display information about your products and services. Most people (nowadays) do a fair amount of research online before heading to a brick and mortar store.
Promote Your Events: Let’s say your business holds events, or is heavily involved in the community. Your website can get event details out there, hold registration forms and help you promote.
Hire Employees: Your website a great place for prospective employees to get information about working for your company. You can have a downloadable application form, or better yet, an online application form that will email you when someone applies.
Hub of All other Advertising: A website serves as a hub for all of your marketing efforts. Your website is literally, the first impression most of your customers and prospective customers get of your business.
Showcase Your Business: We are visual creatures. Check any social media platform stats and you’ll see that posts with images and video perform (engage) the highest. Your website is another location in which you can showcase your business. Use pictures and imagery to personalize your business and showcase your products or services.
High Return on Investment: Online marketing strategies, like websites, search engine optimization and social media are cost effective. Social media, for the most part is 100% free (outside of time investment).
Your Competitors Are Online: Without a website, you’re essentially directing people who search for your services online, to your competition’s doorstep.
Meet Your Audience Where They Are – Online: EVERYONE USES THE INTERNET, rest assured, if you believe differently, you’re in the minority. And possibly more importantly, your future customers are online. The youngest Gen X’ers are the last to remember what life was like without a smartphone.
Answer Questions: Providing a FAQ page on your website makes it easy (and quick) for your customers to find the answers to their questions 24/7.
Web Presence Adds Credibility, Creates Trust: You can’t meet personally with every person you’d like to sell your products or services to, but your website can do this legwork for you!
Your Website Supports Traditional Marketing Efforts: Are you running radio ads or print advertising in the newspaper? Potential customers still have to go online….. even after they’ve heard your radio spot or seen your Ad! In fact, many businesses are now using their website as an extension of their traditional marketing efforts. Which brings me to my next point….
Traditional Advertising Has Limits: Print ads are small, you’re stuck cramming as much information as you can into a tiny space, rendering your ad ineffectual at conveying the most important information. Or your radio spot is limited to a certain amount of time. And while very effective at reaching a large audience, you certainly can’t put every detail about your business in one 30 or 60 second spot! Listeners go online to get more details, or find your location, or your phone number.
Smartphones, Smartphones as Far as the Eye Can See:
- 91% of adults have their smartphone within arms reach 24 hours a day.
- 64% of people in the US own a smartphone.
You do the math. ;D
Update Business Information Quickly: If your services change, or you have special holiday hours, or you need to act quickly to get information to a large audience – Your website is a great place to start.
Are you part of the 25% of small business owners who don’t have a website? If so, start increasing your web presence today!