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Quite a number of small business owners believe they do not need a website for their business since they conduct their business offline. Some believe they will decide to get a business when the business grows bigger, not realizing this is a wrong notion to have. Serious business owners never underestimate the power of the internet because they understand the implications of not being online. A lot of business owners too assume having a Facebook fan page is enough. This is important to social marketing, but still, you need an actual website because you’re probably losing potential customers without knowing it.
If you are trying to minimize expenses or are not willing to pay a developer, there are options and you can still get a free website for your business though it’s better to go all out and get a website fully paid for. Another option is doing it yourself by taking advantage of an easy-to-use platform, such as a Godaddy website builder, so that you can be in full control of your website’s design and layout.
Here are 7 solid reasons why you should have a website for your business:
1. Create a good first impression
They say the first impression is the lasting impression. A professional looking business website says a lot about you and it aids your business in a lot of ways. Imaging handing your business card over to someone: The simple presence of a website gives your business a professional outlook even without the person checking the website already. It gives you credibility.
2. Customers expect to find you online
In this modern age where almost everything imaginable can be found online, most customers expect to find you and your business on the internet. A customer who forgets your real address but remembers your business name may decide to run a Google search, hoping to find your website with that. Personally, I prefer dealing with businesses with functional websites and so does a lot of people.
3. Improve customer service
Operating a business isn’t just about buying and selling, it’s more about relationships. The major way to keep relationships is staying in contact and a website for your business is a great platform to do that. “Contact Us” pages are what people used to use to get in touch with businesses, nowadays customers require businesses to almost respond in real time. To facilitate that, you need to integrate a customer service software with your website such as Kayako.
4. Improve competitive advantage
Look around you and you will find a lot of your competitors operating exactly your kind of business having a website. You need to move ahead with the latest trend or be left behind.
5. Increase sales
Whether you’re operating a small website or a large one, sales is never enough and a website for that business is one of the best ways to increase sales. You’re wondering how? With the rise of eCommerce over the years, lots of business now are based fully online, making buying and selling extremely easy for customers. Even if you’re only offering services and not really selling goods, a website is a good place to announce discounts, display your service or portfolio (if you have one), convince new clients to work with you, and so on.
6. Cost effective advertising
Where else do you have the opportunity to advertise your business the way you want other than your website? Even if you have a functional Facebook fan page or a Twitter account for your business, there’s a limit to what you can talk about but a website of your own that is well integrated with a Content Management System (CMS) is a good way to advertise your new products, new arrivals or showcase completed jobs to impress potential customers.
7. Operate your business 24 hours a day!
With your website available 24 hours a day, it’s like having a front office that’s reachable all the time. Customers can reach you through your website even while you’re business snoring on your bed.
It’s rather funny to see business owners who are still contemplating whether they need a website or not but then, one can only assume it’s probably because they are not enlightened enough on this issue.