Small business websites aren’t nearly as plentiful as small businesses, but websites are a crucial part of running any business.
Whether it’s just you or you have a dozen employees, your business needs a website. It’s not optional anymore if you want to stay competitive.
Think of a website as a partner that helps you to build and grow your business. When you look at it that way, it’s easy to see that investing in a website is a smart business move.
1. Works For You 24/7
Is your business open 24/7? Do you stay up 24/7? Of course not! Small business websites are open 24/7 and they continue to drive business to your door even while you’re sleeping or spending time with your family and friends. You never know when someone might be searching for the products you’re selling at three in the morning. If you have a website, they may see you as a result, check out your products and be waiting at the door when you open the next day.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tool that works for your all the time? You could even sell your products online as well and make money while you sleep.
2. Aids With Branding
Every business needs a brand, including small businesses. Your brand is your reputation and a strong brand helps build customer loyalty. Part of branding means having a website. It gives you a platform to tell your customers and potential customers more about what your business is all about. You’re able to share your own unique message and create a voice that’s uniquely yours.
3. Helps Customers Research You
More and more customers are choosing to do a little research online before making a purchase in a physical store. They could even be inside your store, but prefer to research you a little more before buying. Customers love webrooming now, which means they check out your products or your business before making a purchase. If they can’t find you online, they might not see you as a reputable business. With 69% of customers webrooming, you need an online presence to help customers find you and choose you to make their final purchase.
4. Works As A Marketing Tool
You might see your website as just a few pages of contact information, details on the company and pictures of your products. Take a deeper look and you’ll see that small business websites are powerful marketing tools. For instance, word-of-mouth advertising is valuable, but once that advertising goes online, it spreads further and faster.
A website gives your customers something to share with others. If they loved the experience, they might share a link to your site with all their friends. If you’re blogging, a post could be shared among thousands of people, leading to new customers. All of this is because you have a website.
5. Stand Out From Competitors
Is there any business out there that doesn’t want to stand out from the competition? No. The question is – how? Small business websites not only set you apart, but they help you look like a bigger business. A study by GoDaddy shows that 60% of UK micro-businesses (5 employees or less) didn’t have a website. Of those businesses, 54% were afraid of experiencing no growth within the next 3-5 years.
If the majority of your competition isn’t online then that’s where you need to be. The same study found that 60% of small businesses with a website were expecting as much as a 50% increase in revenue. The growth is even better if you sell at least some of your products online or offer special discounts or promotions for services.
6. Stay In Contact
Even when you have customers, it’s sometimes hard to keep them coming back. Don’t always be so quick to blame yourself. Outside of bad service, one of the top reasons customers don’t come back is they just forget to. For instance, a hair salon might remind customers to come back in for a trim every 6-8 weeks. With a website, customers can sign up for reminders, special offers or a weekly/monthly newsletter. Better engagement with your customers helps keep your business on their mind.
Small business websites also allow you to stay in contact by providing contact details. Providing a contact form, an address and phone number makes it easy for customers to ask questions or find out more about when you’re open.
Small Business Websites Help You Grow
Small businesses websites help your business grow. By having a website and updating it regularly, you’re showing the world you’re just as important as the big businesses out there. Go ahead and get online, build your brand and boost revenue.
Are you ready to introduce your small business to the world? Contact Darren today to get started.
Image: Rob Sarmiento
