Do I Need a Website For My Small Business?
Do you have a website for your small business?
Maybe you don’t have one because you don’t think you need one — or maybe you think you’re too small to bother creating an online presence or perhaps you don’t think the industry requires one. After all, why should you go to the trouble when you can just post all of your content onto Instagram or Facebook?
Eek.
I'm gonna give it to you straight. Stop putting off creating a website for your small business. No matter the industry or size of your business, you need to have one in place and here’s why a website should be at the top of your to-do list:
It generates leads (aka new customers)
Want more sales? A website helps attract and capture $$$ for your small business
It sets you apart from other businesses and provides an opportunity to create brand recognition
Have you ever tried looking up a small business (or any business for that matter) and notice they don’t have a website? In today’s world, not having a website sends a signal — and not a very good one. According to Blue Corona, 97 percent of consumers go online to look for businesses and if you’re not there you’re missing out on some serious possibilities.
You might be thinking, “Well, I use social media to advertise my business!” and while that’s a fantastic idea you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. How many times have you heard about Instagram or Facebook being down for a number of hours. What happens when the sites crash or are sold to a third party? Imagine you would have gone all in on a website like MySpace — where would your business be today?
A website is yours. It’s like a central command center for all things related to your small business. On a website you can :
Display your authority and experience through blog content
Attract and build loyal customers by capturing email addresses
Drive traffic to your shop directly and gain sales
Ready to learn more about why you need a website for your small business? I’ve got five reasons why you need to get to work on one, today. Like now.
5 Reasons Why You Need a Small Business Website
Every day, millions of people spend HOURS online. Whether it’s a tablet, phone or computer, your customers are out there wanting to shop, learn and support small businesses. Hopefully if you’ve read this far you’ve already figured out that having a website is crucial, but in case you need a little more convincing, here are five reason why having a website makes a difference for your small business:
Reason #1: It shows you’re competitive
Here’s some interesting data from Blue Corona: 30 percent of consumers won’t support a business that doesn’t have a website. Would you? Having a website shows that you’re competitive, up-to-date and relevant in the sea of other businesses. It’s not unreasonable for customers to expect all businesses to have a website and, in face, when there isn’t one it actually LOOKS unprofessional.
Even a simple but effective website is better than no website at all.
A lot of things these days are designed to be ‘aesthetically pleasing.’ If that’s been holding you up from creating a website, it’s time to let the perfectionism go. Overall, your website should be easy to navigate and focused — not only in the products or services you offer but the information + content you provide on any of the website’s pages.
Reason #2: It attracts sales and leads
When you only have a few LITERAL seconds to grab the attention of your customer, is your copy doing that for you? Hiring a professional copywriter + content creator offers value in a couple particular ways:
Gives you back your most treasured resource: time. Time to run your business and not get bogged down with things that take up your time.
A copywriter easily creates content that’s educational and effective. Simple is always better so while you might be super knowledgeable in your brand or products you might end up talking over your customers – not TO them.
If you don’t have the resources or budget to hire a professional, here’s a tip to keep in mind: your website should speak to the customer and their experiences. Don’t make it about you!
Reason #3: A website provides a direct line of communication between you and your customer
What pages do your readers look at most? What are they clicking on? What traffic sources are bringing them to your page? Oh yeah, you don’t have a website!
A website is more than just a page to sell products and services. It’s a great source of analytics, and watching statistics will really clue you in on where to make some powerful changes in your small business. A website also allows you to connect with your shoppers directly — you can use it to help them find what they need, answer questions, and even provide them ongoing content that speaks to their needs and lifestyle, building customer loyalty for life.
Reason #4: SEO gives your small business a boost
SEO – even if you don’t know exactly what it does you know it’s important for your website. With the millions of people online at any given time, chances are people in your area are looking for services or products found in your small business. Don’t have a website? Then you’re missing out on a big part of potential business and sales.
When search engines are constantly updating it’s vital that your website changes too in order to keep up and remain relevant. The longer it takes for you to make updates to the site the further down the search engine you fall.
How do you change this? Upgrade your content and post new content consistently. For more tips on SEO, check out this blog post on essential SEO tips for small businesses.
Reason #5: It helps answer common questions
Navigating your website shouldn’t induce a headache – make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for as soon as they land on your website. The longer it takes for your customers to find something the higher the chance of them hopping off and going elsewhere. In today’s world we want everything yesterday and no one is going to wait around and click a bunch of tabs just to find what they came looking for on your website.
When customers come to your website they want to know:
Who you are in the industry
What products or services offer
How can they reach you with questions or concerns
These are some of the best reasons to get your small business website up and running. No more excuses — it’s literally costing you money! If you’re not sure how to go about writing content for a website, reach out and let’s chat. I offer website copywriting to help small businesses with their online presence.
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