15 benefits of having a website
In an era of social media, sometimes business owners may think that having a website is unnecessary, but that couldn’t be further away from the truth. It is relatively easy to create a social media profile such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. However, it is incredibly important to have a “home base” from which all your social accounts can link back to. Customers usually believe a business with a website to be more credible than one without or a social media presence.
It is thought thought that as many as 40% business still don’t have a website, so be merely having a website will put you a step ahead of your competition.
reasons why a company can benefit by having a website
it makes you looks professional
Rather than just being the “corner shop” down the street, having a website (especially a well made one) gives the impression that you are serious, and ready to do business with all kinds of customers. It lends to the credibility mentioned in the survey result above.
become an information resource
If your business is in something of a niche industry, having a website is an excellent opportunity to build your reputation as an authority in your field. Create a blog section on your site with informative articles that take advantage of your experience. Potential customers doing web searches on common problems related to your industry will be more likely to find you – and after they read your blog articles, they’ll see how helpful you can be for them.
own your name
Creating a site and buying a domain name (eg https://morphedmedia.co.uk) helps stake your claim to your business’s name, and is a quick and easy way to improve your brand identity.
You can also get a unique business email that will add to that sense of branding as well (info@morphedmedia.co.uk). Many website creation companies will include custom email addresses as part of their offerings.
improve SEO rankings
When you search online through sites like Google, Bing, or Yahoo you will see a list of websites with answers to your request. There are SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tactics that you can apply to your company website to improve its rankings on those search engines.
Not having a website makes it a lot more difficult for your company to rank and gain free traffic and sales from search engines.
develop a mailing list
Once you have a website built, add a form for people to sign up for your mailing list. You now have an easily accessed database of potential customers to advertise to.
be where your customers are – on the web
Unless you live in a cave you know the internet is everywhere, on most devices and readily accessible by all.
Even having a fundamental website is helpful. For many people, if they can’t find it online, it doesn’t exist as far as they are concerned.
tell your story
Having a webpage on your site dedicated to a section like “Company History” is a way to humanise your business.
Here is where being a small business can be an immediate strength. Run a family business started by mom or dad? Been around for decades? Let people know about it, and build their trust.
Displaying a sense of creativity and personality can be an advantage not available to a large, committee-run company.
a new selling opportunity
If your business sells products that can be delivered by mail-order, consider investing in an online shopping and checkout section of your website. Some companies will build this section for you. You may be able to reach an entirely new set of customers who do not live directly near your retail locations. Depending on the nature of your business, you may have the entire planet as potential customers.
get data
By having different web pages dedicated to different products or services you provide, you can use web visitor data to find which is drawing the most attention. Look at it as an enhanced POS system like you would have in a shop.
The more direct route is also available; you can create online polls or surveys to get an idea of what products and services customers are most interested in.
easy access to product information
Working with your staff and product distributors, you can provide as much detail on products and services as you want. Email forms and contact info can help even a small business build out a more professionally-styled customer service system. A recent development is semi-automated chatbots that can be placed on a website, performing the same essential function an operator would on a major company 1-800 customer service phone number. Customer service is now available for your clients at any time.
informed customers
Following the above: less time will be spent by staff explaining the basics of a product or service to inquiring customers. If they are not at your store, you can directly refer them to your website if they have any additional questions. Those customers who like to “kick the tires” before purchasing will be able to do as much advance reading on product info as they want.
open 24/7, 365 days
If you have a business that has limited floor space for your products, your problems can be solved with a website. You have virtually unlimited space to list all your products in as much detail as you want, and potential customers can read up on them at any time. Working with manufacturers and distributors, you can include high-quality photo galleries for products.
attract new staff
Create a “Careers” or “Job Opportunities” webpage on your site. You’ll be able to get potential job candidates to come to you, rather than spending time on trying to recruit employees or spending money placing listings on job websites.
promote your store locations
This might seem counterintuitive, but having a website may help increase foot traffic at your brick-and-mortar locations. Having basic info like store locations, addresses, hours, and phone numbers on your website create a data footprint that will be picked up by search engines. Even if customers are out and about they can search your business, find your address, and quickly link to a map.
testimonials and reviews
If you have happy customers, take advantage of it. You can utilise positive customer reviews and testimonials directly on your website. You can even create a dedicated webpage section to showcase a “portfolio” of your work (with photos if applicable), along with reviews. Building a groundswell of positive reviews that are easy to find on your business’s website is yet another way to distinguish you from your competition.