09 Feb The Importance of Having a Website for Business
The Importance of Having a Website for Business
If you are thinking about starting your own business, or if you have already started one and want to expand it more quickly, then I would recommend that you consider creating an online presence.
Having a website can be the difference between success and failure in today’s marketplace. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling physical products or services — both require a strong web presence.
If you think about it from this angle, why so many entrepreneurs start their businesses online makes sense. Almost every successful person has achieved their goals by using the Internet as their primary source of marketing communications.
And they didn’t even know about search engine optimisation techniques back when they were just learning about online marketing!
The bottom line is that having a website provides extra exposure for your product(s) and allows you to create your very own virtual storefront where people can browse through all your offerings.
Think about it – what could beat having your storefront right at the click of a button?
19 Reasons why Having a Website for your Business is Essential
1 – Better customer service.
People expect instant responses to emails and phone calls. But most of us don’t have enough time to reply to everyone personally.
Having a website allows you to answer questions faster and easier.
In addition, websites allow you to collect email addresses which means you’ll receive feedback directly from visitors without going through different channels like phones, mailboxes etc.
2 – Know exactly who you’re dealing with.
With a website, you can see first-hand any kind of credentials your prospective clients may wear. No longer can you rely solely on word-of-mouth advertising.
Having a professional-looking website up and running takes care of those details.
3 – Be found easily.
Nowadays, being “found” isn’t limited to driving down to your local mall to look for shops or checking out flyers posted around town.
Thanks to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, information travels rapidly across the Internet these days.
What happens if someone searches for something related to your niche? How easy would it be for them to find you on Google? Would they feel lost if they clicked on a link and ended up somewhere completely unrelated to your market?
4 – Save money.
Having a website costs a fraction of the cost of traditional print advertisements. Plus, since a website usually gets updated much less often than printed materials, you save money on paper usage.
Some companies might argue that printing ads in magazines and newspapers help them stay connected with prospects. While this is true, nothing beats seeing what your product looks like before making a purchase decision.
5 – Build credibility.
There are many ways to establish yourself as an expert within your field. One way is to write articles and submit them to article directories. Another method is blogging.
However, neither of these methods work unless you have built trust via personal contact. Websites offer another excellent way to let others know about anything new you’ve published, thus establishing your expertise.
Also, once your content starts appearing on various websites, you’ll gain visibility, increasing awareness of your brand name and eventually leading to increased sales.
6 – Get noticed by big players in your industry.
When was the last time you saw a billboard advertisement created for Microsoft Word software? While billboards still exist, spending thousands of dollars on large scale promotions is expensive and risky.
Instead, use your budget to promote your company on the Internet. Once you have established solid relationships with other businesses and gained valuable experience, you can convince more prominent corporations to advertise on your behalf.
7 – Make your business stand apart from competitors.
Most of us tend to compare ourselves against our neighbours’ houses rather than compare ourselves with similar businesses. So, imagine walking into the house belonging to your next-door neighbour and asking them why they decided to buy a specific refrigerator model.
We’d probably walk away pretty disappointed because we wouldn’t realise that we made a mistake until we stepped outside again. That’s essentially what happens when people visit stores without understanding the differences between competing brands and models.
By contrast, buyers won’t have access to your competition if you sell online. They can only judge you based on your features and prices.
Therefore, it becomes much harder to lose profits due to unfair comparisons.
8 – Generate additional income streams.
Any entrepreneur knows the importance of diversifying sources of revenue. Since having a website can generate multiple passive income streams, you can focus entirely on growing your business without worrying too much about day-to-day operations.
All you need to maintain your website is a regular payment processing account.
9 – Have fun working on projects.
Many small business owners shy away from doing design work because they believe they aren’t creative enough. Others say they lack the knowledge necessary to develop a great looking website.
Well, now you can learn everything you need to know to create stunning designs with ease.
Even though designing a website requires little technical skills, it can take quite a lot of time. For example, my latest project took me approximately two months from idea inception to completion.
Don’t worry; it wasn’t dull either! You can spend your spare time developing ideas, writing blog posts, researching trends, and communicating with team members.
10 – Reduce stress levels.
Working long hours behind a computer screen can bring lots of stress. Whether you’re managing finances, preparing reports, coordinating meetings, responding to client inquiries, or just waiting for updates on your orders, staying focused can sometimes be challenging.
Thankfully, technology offers solutions to these problems. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, video chat sessions, interactive voice response systems and cloud computing platforms serve as convenient tools that reduce overall workload.
These technologies enable employees to accomplish more tasks simultaneously and effectively communicate with colleagues regardless of location.
11 – Keep track of daily activities.
Keeping records regarding employee training programs, client interactions, inventory movements, and financial transactions save tons of time.
Tracking data automatically create reports that managers can review later and provides detailed insight into workflow performance. Such reporting can also show discrepancies between actual results and targets.
12 – Increase efficiency.
Using software applications designed to automate repetitive actions enables staff to concentrate on higher-value tasks.
Employees can eliminate errors during manual processes, resulting in fewer complaints and disputes. As an owner, you can become more productive knowing that no mistakes occurred throughout the process.
13 – Learn from experts.
You can keep abreast of current trends and developments in your field through blogs, forums, eBooks, videos, podcasts, white papers, newsletters, case studies, and teleconferences.
Experts share their experiences and teach others essential lessons learned along the way.
14 – Improve profitability.
Having a website enhances productivity, leading to more significant revenues. High-quality graphics attract attention and increase conversion rates.
Customers appreciate the consistency and professionalism displayed by a professionally developed website.
15 – Provide real value to consumers.
Consumers benefit greatly from websites offering relevant information and valuable resources. Search engines rank high traffic pages according to relevance and authority. Thus, the more informative and unique your website contains, the more likely users will come back.
16 – Gain control over SEO.
Search Engine Optimisation refers to improving a specific web page’s rankings within significant search engines like Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Baidu.
This technique promotes your page within organic listings, which typically appear above the paid advertisements.
Ranking highly on SERPs is crucial for increasing website traffic and ultimately boosting sales.
17 – Give your business a boost.
Every year, millions of Americans face job loss due to layoffs, plant closings, mergers and acquisitions, technological advances, global economic conditions, poor management decisions, bad debt collection practices, etc… Without proper preparation, struggling firms can fall victim to unforeseen circumstances, leaving cash flow short.
Fortunately, implementing effective strategies to improve cash flow can strengthen a firm’s position and potentially prevent collapse altogether.
Having a website can play a critical role in helping businesses regain stability and avoid bankruptcy. You can leverage websites to generate substantial returns on investment (ROI).
Depending upon your business type, ROIs generated from websites range from 4 weeks to 2 years. According to research conducted by Forbes Insights, 60% of CEOs reported that their digital investments helped grow their organisations.
18 – Simplify internal communication.
Emails, conference calls, memos, presentations, surveys, announcements and other forms of written correspondence consume significant amounts of time and energy.
Poorly organised messages lead to wasted efforts and unnecessary delays. A website acts as a central repository for all vital corporate information.
Staff can refer to it whenever they wish. Not surprisingly, companies with websites enjoy lower administrative expenses.
19 – Stay informed.
Regularly reviewing news, events and publications relating to your industry can give you a competitive advantage.
At times, it’s hard to determine what’s happening in the world of commerce, finance and politics. Companies with a website can address concerns and issues raised by readers, providing valuable insights and tips.
What have you benefitted from having a website for your business? Let us know in the comments below.
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