Your business needs a website because it provides additional details about your company that will boost exposure and visibility.
Online Presence
First, a website provides your business with an online presence. As previously mentioned, the vast majority of customers search online to find local businesses. Google and other search engines are an opt-in service, which means that unless you tell search engines your contact information, it will not be provided to people online. A website works to tell search engines information about your business including your address, telephone number, service areas, and business hours. If your business isn’t found on search engines, it essentially doesn’t exist online.
Engagement
The second reason your business needs a website is because it creates a channel for customer engagement. A good business website gives people opportunities to interact with your business, such as by requesting a free quote, scheduling an appointment, emailing your business, or even just looking up your address and phone number. The more information your customers can learn about your company in the fastest amount of time, and the more opportunities they have to engage with you, the more likely they will be to engage with you.
Competitive Advantage
If you want potential customers to find and use your business over your competitors, your business needs a website. The more information you can provide about your products, services, and personality, the more you can distinguish your business from competitors in your local community.
Also, by using content reflective of the personality and culture of your business, your website can get a feel for the experience of your business, not just its products and services. The more familiar you can make someone with your business, the more they will be drawn to it.
How does a website help a business?
Having a website doesn’t just lead your business to exist in the digital world; it helps it to thrive in the physical world as well. A website helps a business in various areas of growth involving your customers, your reputation, and your visibility in your community and industry.
Generates Leads
A website helps your business by generating leads with calls-to-action. A call-to-action is a button or text on your website that prompts someone to provide their contact information for a specific purpose. Examples of calls-to-action include schedule an appointment, get a quote for a service, download a brochure or eBook, or request more information from the business. Having calls-to-action on your website that require visitors to fill out a contact form provides you with a list of people to follow up with and potentially convert into clients and customers.
Saves Time
A website can save you time and money as a business owner. Think of your website as a conversation you’d have with a person interested in your services, whether on the phone or in person. Answering questions, they have will show that you are knowledgeable in your area of expertise, will increase their trust in you, and may potentially lead to a sale.
Having a website enables you to provide the same information you would in a conversation, but without you actually having to be there. Even better, a website works to allow you to have multiple “conversations” with potential customers at once because, unlike having a one-on-one conversation, more than one person can view your website at a time. Time otherwise spent answering these questions and informing customers can now be allocated to other priorities. In addition, the thought-out content on your website will, at times, articulate your business and services better than you can on the fly.
Promotes Your Business
In addition to giving information about your business, a website allows you to showcase your business’s products and services. Depending on your business, you can have a photo gallery or portfolio of your work, a blog where you can stand out as an expert in your area and provide useful information, and even a section for customer testimonials. This allows customers to see how and why they should use your business, which makes their decision making easier.
Expands Your Reach
One final way a website helps your business is by expanding your reach. Store fronts, hanging flyers, and business cards have geographical limitations in terms of who they can reach. With a website, anyone can find or stumble upon your work, not just people in your area.
SEO, or search engine optimization, works to get your business found by people conducting online searches, putting your business in front of more than just the people who are walking by. If your business website contains enough content that is relevant to your service and location and useful to your audience, you will show up on search engine results pages and get discovered by more people.