Now a days, you can pretty much have a website for anything. Whether you’re an artist showcasing a portfolio or small business trying to sell your products or services online, a website stamps your presence on the digital web. Websites have been around for over 25 years yet many small and startup businesses have only recently began recognizing the need for an online presence.
According to Clutch, about two thirds of small businesses have a professional website. Business owners are finally now understanding the importance of being online as we see a steady increase in professional websites. However, that still leaves plenty of businesses without one. Why?
Common reasons include owners belief that their business does not need a website, or because they use social media instead. This blog post is going to look at 7 important reasons why your small or startup business should have its own website.
1.Customer Expectations
We can all agree that our customers determine our business success, and it’s now a customer expectation to have your business online. This is due to the evolution of consumer behaviour and the buyer’s journey. Now a days, it is common for people to research online before visiting your business, making a purchase or seeking information. A website could be the first impression to the customer, which is why it is important to have a professional and creative website for your business. A majority of time, all you need is a few pages tailored to your business needs that contain basic information. This simple creation can keep your customers happy, invite new customers, and an online validation of your business.
2.Control information and branding
Having a website isn’t only about customer satisfaction, with reviews and comments you can also get their feedback about where your business can make improvements. Secondly, by owning your own website, you have control over the information about your business and branding that distinguishes your service or product from the competition. Having a website will provide you with an official presence on the internet that is in your full control. For starters, you can customize the logo, colours and fonts to brand your business in any way you want.
3. Affordable
An outdated approach that many business owners have done in the past is rely on Yellow Page ads and listings to get their name out there. Unfortunately with the popularity of smartphones, users can instantly find any business or service with search engines, such as Google, making Yellow Pages a thing of the past. Plus, who wants to purchase an expensive ad in the ever shrinking directory? Websites costs are decreasing every year and have a wider reach with plenty of web design firms, such as Creative Scope, that design and develop affordable websites.
4. Easy to keep up to date
If you tried a website years ago, you might have had some bad experiences. Web developers could have took weeks or months to build a website. On top of that, you couldn’t make changes yourself. Simple changes such as store hours could take forever.
Today, things have completely changed. With WordPress emerging as the number one content management system, easy edits are quick and simple so anyone can log in and make them.
Websites can be created in days, or even hours depending on the complexity. You’ll be able to add photos, edit texts or change part of your designs.
Learn More: Effective Ways to Increase E-Commerce Sales
5. You can find existing and potential customers
Your website can do more than just provide information for existing and potential customers. You can use emails, contact forms, guest books and chat apps to have visitors interact with your website and give feedback on your product or service. You can strategically place call to actions such as subscribing to an email list that can create potential new customers and reward loyal ones.
6. A business website levels the playing field
Although budgets and project scopes vary from business to business. There is no real difference between a Fortune 500 company website or a start up firm. As long as the website meets customer needs, it does not matter if it has been built through a popular agency firm or a student in university. A clean and professional website that allows you to present yourself and your business any way you like is the end all purpose.
7. Does my business need a website if I’m on social media?
Some businesses who have social media profiles believe it is enough. Many have a Facebook page or social media accounts with some followers, but there are a few problems with limiting yourself to only social media. Social media accounts are dependent on the platform you choose. A platform like Instagram will reach a different audience then on Pinterest for example. With a website, you can have a one stop shop for any user to visit your website and learn more about your business. You can control the content with no limits, keep up with trends and build a consistent online presence.
Conclusion
Because technology is continuing to evolve at such a fast rate, it is now changing the way we do business. As a business owner, you must be able to adapt to the changes and find solutions to keep up with the trends. A website is the first step in the right direction that has many benefits while still remaining affordable. Here at Creative Scope, we offer affordable web designs that will meet your small or startup business needs while delivering the right message to visitors. Whether you have a design in mind or starting from scratch, Creative Scope will create a custom professional website at affordable prices for you.
