This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Lauren Russell, Wild Spirit Development
There are many benefits to consider when it comes to having a website for your small business. A website can help you connect with more customers, increase sales, and improve your online visibility. If you’re not sure if a website is right for your small business, here are some reasons to consider:
1. A website gives your business a professional presence online.
When you have a website for your small business, it gives you a professional presence online. This is important because it helps to legitimize your business and make it look more credible to potential customers. A study by BIA/Kelsey indicated that 97% of consumers will research a business online before purchasing or inquiring for more information. If a consumer isn’t finding you during their searches, it’s safe to conclude that you’re losing business – and lots of it.
Customers like to do their own research about a company before making a purchase. They want to see the legitimacy of their product, service, etc. A website also allows you to share information about your products and services with customers and support those offerings with social proof.
2. Reach a larger audience.
Nowadays, it’s hard just to be in business locally, but if you have an online presence too? When considering brick-and-mortar businesses that are not online, their audience is only those locally that can access their store on foot. With having a business online; and not necessarily having to do business, ie: selling products through your website, you’ll be able to reach out even wider than before because there is no limit to how many people can come across your website.
3. Provides information about your business and products/services.
When you have a website for your small business, it provides a place where customers can go to learn more about your business and the products and services you offer. Your website can include information about your company history, the products and services you offer, images of your products, customer testimonials, and more. This information can help customers learn more about your business and decide if they want to do business with you.
4. Help you sell products and services online.
If you sell products or services online, a website can help you increase your sales. You can use your website to showcase your products and services, provide information about pricing and shipping, and accept payments for your products and services. Customers can purchase your products and services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which can help you boost your sales. Your website is always (or should always) be open and available for customers to purchase your products at all times of the day, or offer a way for a visitor to inquire about a service.
5. Valuable tool for marketing your business.
Your website can be a powerful marketing tool for your business. You can use your website to drive traffic to your brick-and-mortar store, promote special offers and discounts, and generate leads for your sales team. You can also use your website to connect with customers through social media, email marketing, and other online marketing strategies. Ultimately, your website is YOUR platform – you don’t have to conform to other platforms’ rules or their downtime – as you should be in control of your own platform. We went over this back in 2019 when Facebook & Instagram were down for about 12 hours.
A website is an essential tool for any small business. Not only does it give your business a professional presence online, but it also helps you reach a larger audience and sell products and services online. In addition, a website can be used for marketing your business in various ways. If you’re unsure if a website is right for your small business, book a call with our team today, and we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and go over what might be a great solution for you to get your business online.
Hello there! My name is Lauren, I’m a website developer that works with business owners to establish their online presence and help them do better business online. To accomplish a businesses’ goals I work one-on-one with clients to develop a website that provides a great user experience from the second a visitor lands on a page, to incorporating sales funnels that work and bring their business more clients.
My favorite point in a project is when a client see’s the end goal, and gets excited for the new changes that are on the horizon for their business. A new spark of excitement for their business happens, and being part of that time for a client is more than rewarding!