Regardless of your business type, you need a website.
You may have a Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn page for your
business.
That is excellent.
Are these pages flexible to adequately show what you offer to
attract lots of clients? The truth is,
As a business owner, there are many reasons why you need a
website. A website gives you control over your content, helps to increase your
sales, and gives you an edge over the competition.
You’ll be throwing lots of money out the window if you don’t have
a website.
I don’t think any business owner will make this statement – “I
don’t want more customers.”
Unfortunately, the actions of many business owners scream, “I
don’t want more customers”because their business isn’t online. You will be
cheating yourself and sending lots of money to your competition by relying only
on your physical store or social media pages.
Many of your customers are online. And the first step to getting
your customers online is by having a professionally designed website. Your
website is your digital storefront, and I will outline 15 reasons why you need
a website today.
Statistics show that 4.57 billion people (59% of the world
population) used the Internet in April 2020. This number is excellent for business.
According to Internet World Statistics
While the United States has seen
only 328% internet user growth from the
year 2000 to 2020, Nigeria has a
whopping 63,000% growth. As a business owner anywhere in the
world, these numbers are yelling that you have an enormous potential to
succeed. You only need a tiny fraction of this massive pool of people in
your business. And interestingly, it starts with a great website.
These 15
reasons will convince you that you need a website, and hopefully, you will halt
the money-drain to your competitors.
1. Your
competitors are online
This is one of the most important reasons why you need a website. Daily, your
competitors strive to get ahead of you. ‘Getting ahead’ is a subtle term. You
could be ‘put out of business’ if they succeed in getting a sizeable quantity
of your customers for themselves.
One of the ways they achieve this is by positioning their business
to attract tons of sales with a professional website👏.
You need to have a website and establish a solid online presence
to compete favorably.
If your business is not on the internet,
then your business will be out of business. — Bill Gates
Studies show that more than 80% of customers research businesses and
services online before buying. A prospective customer could learn about your
product or services while being afar. If the potential client decided to search
for your brand online and nothing showed up, what will be the next step?! The
prospect will look for the alternative – your
competitors!
This means you are indirectly feeding your competitors and putting
money in their pockets. Not having a website strengthens your competitors, and
it could give your business a local and unprofessional outlook.
2.
Target your customers with 100%
efficiency
If you regularly use
Facebook, Google, and other online media platforms, then you will notice
something striking.
Perhaps you have
clicked on an advertisement once. Did you notice that a few days later, you saw
the same ad or a different ad from the same company? Also, there is a chance
that you had some interest in the ad you saw. Like other business owners, you
can similarly target your customers with rocket efficiency.
The
conventional mode of advertising doesn’t guarantee this kind of targeting. Online advertising is no longer optional; it is a
necessity, and you need a website to do this smoothly.
In the traditional
method of advertising, you’ll need to print out those pamphlets again. to do radio jingles repeatedly. You have no
guarantee that Peter will go through the pamphlet you just gave him. What’s the
chance that Mr. Sam that needs your service will be on his couch watching TV? That is guesswork.
The online ad isn’t
guesswork. And to use it effectively, you need a website to appear professional
and trustworthy.
3.
Convert prospective customers to buyers
A
website offers a quick way to convert prospective customers into a loyal
fanbase. Getting the contact information of your prospects is very important.
With a website, you can provide an attractive and valuable free offer in exchange for the contact information of
web visitors.
When visitors engage
with your freebie, they instantly know that you deliver lots of value, and they
will love to purchase your products or services. Also, having the contact
information of many of your web visitors helps you stay in touch with people
who are interested in what you do.
4. Improve your reputation
Your
business is as good as your reputation. Many prospective customers will
ascertain your credibility by checking for online reviews before patronizing
you. According to Verisign, the world’s leading domain name provider, 56% of
customers do not
trust a business that doesn’t have a website. Having a
website is proof that your business is genuine.
Your
customers expect it
Your customers expect you to have a website. The 21stCentury buyer places a premium
on online information and reputation.
Your
website should have what your customers want to see. Customers don’t care about
the image sliders when they visit your digital store. Tell
them why your business is unique. And if they believe you can help them, they
will request your product or service.
Your
customer reach is limited with a physical store. You can reach more customers with your website.
If third parties have
validated your service, you can put them on your website and stimulate more
customer trust. Do you have awards, recognitions, testimonials, video reviews,
and so on? They need to be on your website.
6. Enormous profit potential
In March 2019, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
released a statement for informational purposes. They disclosed that global
e-commerce sales grew to an estimated $29 trillion, a 13% increase from the
numbers recorded in 2017. Also, the press release shows
that the number of online shoppers grew to 1.3 billion people, a 12% increase
from the previous figures.
According to the
UNCTAD Secretary-General, Mukhisa Kituyi, “The question
from a development standpoint is whether businesses in developing
countriesare
prepared to seize the opportunities in the e-commerce sector.
In
Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics recorded 800 million transactions worth 43 trillion Naira (more
than $120bn) in the Third Quarter of 2019. Unfortunately, it is those with
websites that can tap into the massive e-commerce opportunity.
7. Management
You do not need any special skills to manage your business website. You can
make changes to pictures, a blog post, add tags and categories, and so on. At
the content estate, we can work you through this process.
8. Own your story
A website plays an integral part in shaping perceptions about your business.
Your website can tell
your audience who you are, what you stand for, and your business principles.
Having a website
gives you control over your brand. With your messages designed to attract a
particular set of people, your website helps you acquire them.
9. Networking
A website is a 24/7 networking machine. Someone could visit any of your social
media profiles and click on the link to your site. If they are interested in
what you do, they could connect with you.
You shouldn’t miss
these opportunities that could increase your revenue or become a massive leap
for your business.
I
have met with some business owners who told me that some clients found them
through Google my business. Next, these clients checked their
website, decided that they were a good fit, and established contact. Now, these
business owners want to milk the opportunity in local SEO.
You can have similar
opportunities, more clients, and more revenue. What you need is a professional
website.
10. Talk less
It takes a lot of effort and thought to convince prospects to patronize your
business. Also, you may not be able to advertise everything you do by talking.
You could grossly undersell yourself each time you try to convince different
buyers. Your website can tell:
·
What you do
·
Your business hours
·
Your preferred form of contact
·
Your preferred payment methods
·
Discounts for your offers, and many more
11. To sell your products
You need a website because you have to sell your products and services to your
customers. Also, you need a website for customers to buy from you at their
convenience. With a physical shop, you will have opening and closing times. A
website eliminates these barriers. You will be catering to those who want to
buy at any time of the day. With a website, you are never “closed for business.” You
are always open!
With your
website, you can market your business to different countries because your
customer location has no hold on you. You can use cheap marketing tools like
email marketing for your business. That way, you are almost sure of repeat
business. All of these guarantee a dramatic positive impact on your revenue.
12. Social Proof
81%
of online shoppers search for businesses online before buying. Invariably,
it means that having a website is an excellent way to ensure that you appear in
these searches. It will give your business visibility and increase your chance
of winning new customers.
Also, your
business could record increased patronage. All you need do is to have a Search
Engine Optimized website.
13. Show off your skills and customer testimonials
You need a
website to show off your skills and customer testimonials in a way that makes
you stand tall amid your competitors. One of the easiest ways of doing this is
to attach images, reports, written testimonials, or anything that proves that
you have executed a project(s) in the past and the client was happy.
14. Helps with business goals
Your website will help you achieve your business goals. First, an exceptional
website will boost the reputation and awareness of your business. Most people
judge a company by the quality of their website. A poorly designed website is a
blow to your business. According to parqamarketing 38% of people will quit interacting with a site that has lousy
content and layout. That is about 4 in every 10 persons! The reverse is the
case when you have an excellent website.
You can position yourself to attract customers with an outstanding
website. Matching an exceptional
design with unique content will get you even more clients.
#15. Saves you time
As a business owner, you need to maximize your time. You do not need to be
physically present to answer every customers’ questions. Also, there is a high
probability that several customers will ask similar questions.
You can save
lots of time by having a Frequently Asked Questions section on your website.
Conclusion
“Why do I need
a website?” This shouldn’t be the question anymore.
“Why am I yet
to get a professional website?” There are many answers to this question, but I
will summarize them in a sentence. You haven’t decided to increase your reach,
revenue, and save your valuable time.
The good thing
is, you can still get a website today and enjoy the benefits.
Getting a
website will make you have what your competitors wish you never had;
·
More reach
·
More revenue
You cannot
afford NOT to have a website. Don’t limit your reach and revenue. Use a Blog like Blogger.com in
the interim while you switch over to a website s soon as you start making money
online
