Does My Small Business Need a Website?

An Answer To A Surprisingly Common Question

So it probably won’t surprise you but I talk to a lot of people about websites. That’s not a normal topic for conversation for most people. However, when you’ve spent the last decade building, fixing and editing websites for clients, it tends to come up.

A question that comes up again and again is simply “Does my small business need a website?”, because obviously, that’s the name of this article. Seriously though you would be surprised how many times I hear this from customers. In most cases they have a Facebook business page and think that’s sufficient. I’ve even found people who don’t see the value of a website at all. In 2019. Seriously. Think about that.

The obvious answer is Yes, of course your small business needs a website. There that was a short article. In all seriousness though, no matter how on point your social media game is or how technology challenged you may be, it is essential to have a website. In fact it should be an important hub in not only your online digital marketing strategy, but also if used right, it can be an asset and great recruiting tool for your company and salesforce.

A Professional Digital Presence Is A Must

There was a time when you opened a brick and mortar, added your business to the phone book, put a sign out front and waited on the customers to come through the door. These days that approach just won’t cut it. With almost every potential consumer walking around with the equivalent to a personal computer in their pocket, it’s easy for a business to get lost in the shuffle.

Even the businesses that try to get by on just a Facebook page, actually need a website. There is nothing wrong with a Facebook page, it’s a great marketing tool in it’s own right, but that’s for another article. But it isn’t the same and doesn’t relay the amount of professionalism that an actual website does. Moreover, when you put your businesses online presence strictly in the hands of a third party service such as Facebook, it’s a risky proposition. You’re business is always one unannounced update away from having a page that doesn’t look right or doesn’t perform right.

How Does A Website Benefit My Small Business?

Being Competitive – No matter what your business is, I guarantee you that somewhere out there is a competitor that is in the same business but is digital savvy, and while you may not see the potential benefits of a website, he is constantly tweaking his well designed, optimized site. The problem with this is obviously that the higher he increases his visibility, the more business they potentially take from you. Not having a top notch internet presence will reflect poorly on your business and if you have none at all, customers will naturally gravitate toward those that do.
Convenience – This should go without saying but the modern consumer is the most informed and educated consumer ever. Rarely will they go to stores or visit a business without checking them out online first. No where is this more obvious than the world of car dealerships. The average car shopper used to visit up to 14 dealerships before making a decision. Currently they go to an average of 2.5 places before making their decision. They do all their research online and if you have no website, guess where they won’t be researching?
Building Relationships – Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am constantly talking about the fact that trust is the single most important thing that we as business owners should be working toward. Building consumer trust is essential to building a customer base and standing out from your competitors. Building familiarity and a relationship with your customers not only helps you grow your customer base, but also helps you retain them. If you have no website, it’s hard for customers to get to know you at all. No trust will equal no growth and no sales.
Credibility Matters – You never get a second chance to make a first impression and no where is that more true than with your businesses online presence. A business with no website, or a shoddy website will fare poorly versus a business who has a mobile friendly, modern website and knows how to use it. For instance, when I take my wife out to dinner, she will peruse the websites of several restaurants trying to figure out which one to go to. If you think she’s going to a restaurant who has a primitive, outdated website, or worse, no website at all, you’re crazy. The ones with bad websites may have the best food in town, but there are a ton of potential customers like my wife who will never know because they are turned off by their poor representation online.
Increased Sales – If you have only a brick and mortar store with no online presence you limit yourself geographically. It’s that simple. Having a website, that is hooked up to Google will benefit your company exponentially. Once your site is built, create a Google business listing and fill out all your information. Doing so will get you listed on Google and help you to appear in the map searches when consumers Google your type of business. Doing this also allows you to extend your range and reach potential customers who would have otherwise never heard about your business. The more potential clients you can reach, the more chances you have to turn them into paying customers.

Being Online Is Essential To Growing Your Small Business

As you can see the marketplace has become a hectic and busy place filled with the most informed shoppers the world has ever seen. If you build a website and cater to this seekers of information, your business can grow and prosper, neglect them at your businesses peril. A shoddy or poor representation of your business or even worse, no website at all, can cost your business in the form of lost opportunities and lost sales. In 2019 a professional, well built website is essential to your business. As always, if you need help or have questions about how to get started, don’t hesitate to contact me. I can help get you started and get your small business online today.