Ever wondered if running a website is a worthwhile investment? Should you pay the costs for professional small business web design?
There are over 1.9 billion sites live at this very moment. A lot of those sites are your competitors, fighting tooth and nail for attention from clients. You always have to ask if it’s worth jumping into the fray as well.
The answer is a definitive yes.
A website can increase your client base by a huge margin. Your site can inform people about what you offer and establish a brand image that will reach thousands of people in the blink of an eye.
Not sure how a website can achieve all this and more? Discover why you need a website with our list below:
Everyone Uses the Internet
Over 62% of the global population uses the Internet.
That’s well over half of everyone on the planet. Everywhere you go, you’ll see someone looking up businesses or products on a laptop, phone, or tablet. You can even browse the Internet using a gaming device or a smartwatch these days.
Gone are the days when print media like newspapers and physical flyers dominated the marketing landscape. They still exist and they have a big role to play. That said, they play second fiddle to the dominance of a good online presence.
Having a small business website ensures that all those people online can find your products or services. If you rely solely on print media, your reach can only go as far as those documents go.
Of course, some might argue that they can reach the online crowd through social media. Billions of people are on Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram, after all. However, having a website is still the better option.
Remember that not everyone is on Facebook. Not everyone spends time on TikTok. However, all of the people on various social media platforms can visit your site, whether or not they have an account registered.
Online and on the Go
By 2025, over 72% of people accessing the Internet will do so using nothing but a smartphone. This means a vast majority of people will be able to look up your business even when they’re on a bus or out dining at a fast-food restaurant.
People no longer need to simply pass by a billboard to discover more information about what you offer. Professional business website designs allow them to read up no matter where they are or what they’re up to.
Again, having a Facebook page or TikTok account isn’t enough. Not everyone on the go wants to waste time on social media. They might not even have an account registered.
Not having a website means you can’t cater to the ever-changing demands and needs of people on the go.
With a professional small business website, someone at an airport can look up businesses that offer the services or products they need. All it takes is a quick Google search on their phone and they’ll discover your website. Without any registration or social media account needed, they can check out what you have and get in touch to purchase or subscribe.
Your Business Appears More Professional
A website lets people know you run a legitimate company. A lot of people might think a business is a scam if there’s no website to visit. After all, a business without a website has an easier chance of taking a customer’s cash and vanishing without a trance.
With a website, people can check how long you’ve been in business. They can look for reviews, a physical address for your office, and a contact number.
Your website is a symbol of legitimacy. Your business, in the eyes of the people, officially exists. Without a business website, people might consider your company as a small-time endeavor that could pose as a scam or poor investment.
This also leans into the next reason to have a business website: people expect you to have one!
People Expect a Business to Have a Website
The Internet has been around for over two decades now. Smartphones, watches, gaming devices, and tablets can access the Internet almost anywhere and everywhere. If you run a business, people now expect that you automatically also have a website.
Websites for small businesses are now a basic necessity for survival. They’re no longer a neat bonus to show your business is innovative and cool.
If people can’t find a website, there’s always a chance they’ll look for a social media page. Even if they land on a Facebook page or Google My Business profile, they’ll still scout for a link to an official website. Don’t disappoint those people who already show interest in your business!
Are you at a trade event or convention? If you hand out flyers or business cards, you should make sure that those cards also have your website URL or QR code printed on them. People might lose the card but they’ll use it first to check out your website.
Don’t forget that your competitors also have websites too. If people can’t find your site, they’ll simply check out your competitor. Those other businesses will likely live up to the expectation of having a modern website up and running.
24/7 Availability
It’s not easy to run a business 24/7. You need to let your staff sleep and you can’t always have people available to answer phone calls. You will need to close your physical store at night.
However, you can keep a business website up and running 24/7. The only time your site goes down is for scheduled maintenance. You can avoid that too by picking a reliable hosting service.
Can’t hire staff to answer messages or emails coming from your website? Nowadays, you can even install chatbots to take care of customer concerns too. You can then send a proper reply afterward but expect the chatbot to take care of most inquiries for you.
If you run an eCommerce site, people can shop at any time.
You might not even need to manage packaging and delivery if you use a fulfillment system. This is when you have a distributor handle shipments for you. You simply have to resupply those distributor warehouses every few weeks.
Your website will automate everything, from managing transactions to monitoring inventory. It’s also possible to use tools to automate when new pages or advertisements go live.
Take Control of Branding
Speaking of taking control, a website allows you to fully manage how people perceive your brand. Visiting your website should already inform people about the kind of business you run, the tone you undertake, and the atmosphere you and your staff employ.
What goes on a business website is entirely up to you.
Do you want people to think of your website as kid-friendly, jolly, and easy to communicate with? You can do that simply by altering your site’s design and color scheme. If you want to go the opposite route and present your business as a high-end, professional entity then you can do that by using a black and white color scheme.
Take a look at the websites for businesses like Nintendo and McDonald’s. These portray a family-friendly tone even before you read anything about the companies. They imprint these branding messages through visual web design.
Look at formal websites like The Wall Street Journal. One glance at their site and you know this isn’t a website for kids. These are entities that focus on authoritative tones and you know it simply through their business website.
Websites Drive Traffic and Sales
Smart small business web design will boost traffic to your site. Before long, thousands of people will visit your pages to check out your business’s services or products. Without a website, you miss out on all those potential customers.
A good website can also boost sales.
Take for example a business that relies solely on Facebook and then one with a website. People shopping on Facebook need to register an account, get in touch with the seller, discuss the transaction, and then manually send the payment. Only after all this can the seller ship a product.
Businesses with a website don’t have to go through all that. A customer can simply visit the site, look for the product, add it to their online cart, and handle the payment online. It’s a far more convenient process.
Showcase Positive Reviews
Another reason to own a small business website is to let people see all the positive reviews and testimonials you earned over the years. People trust online reviews so use that to your advantage!
Use a website to shine a spotlight on reviews. Let people read positive reviews so you can establish trust and inform people you run a reliable company.
Earned a few negative reviews? Don’t hide them. Address them properly and let people see you can handle a hot situation with care and professionalism.
Smart Small Business Web Design Generates Leads
You want people to get in touch with you. Even an act as simple as calling to verify some information is a good way to build rapport with potential future clients. Marketing experts refer to this stage of building communication as generating a lead.
More leads mean you have more potential clients. They already showed interest by getting in touch with you. Now you simply need to give a little push to convince to pay for your services, subscribe, or buy a product.
Your website is there to generate those leads. How does it achieve this? One big step is to let people register an account and subscribe to a newsletter.
Send out emails to people who register. Notify them about new products or sale promos. Give them a heads up about upcoming deals and business events so they can participate.
A website achieves this for you. With a website, you can display advertisements, highlight new products, offer discount vouchers, or showcase reviews and testimonials. You can educate and inform through blog posts and video content too.
Every type of content you put out can push a visitor to go from a lead to a paying customer.
Makes Your Business Easier to Find
When people read blogs, they often do so for two reasons: for entertainment or information. Your blog posts should do both but at the same, they should boost your SEO efforts too. Optimizing your blog posts is the key to broadening your business’s reach and making it easier for people to discover.
Your website is more than a pretty online platform for people to message you or check your products. For many, it’s the only platform they’ll use to discover and explore your brand.
Keep in mind that over 90% of the population relies on Google Search. Factor in those who use other search engines like Microsoft Bing and it’s easy to see how important it is to have an online presence. Otherwise, no one will even know your business exists.
A website takes advantage of this through expert use of SEO and other digital marketing tactics. More people will discover your site through social media ads, keyword-optimized blog posts, shared guest posts, video ads on YouTube, and more.
People can also discover your website through apps like Google Maps or Google My Business. They might look up reviews on Yelp or Facebook.
Without a website, you can’t take advantage of all those tools. No one will discover your business and this means you’ll lose out on clients.
Take Advantage of the Benefits of a Business Website Today
Now you know why it’s important to invest in excellent small business web design. A simple website is an efficient platform to inform and entertain potential clients. It can broaden your company’s reach, establish a brand image, and build trust with your followers and customers.
Of course, you’ll only enjoy these benefits if you launch a website for your business soon!
Don’t know how to make a business website? Are you looking for professional help to get started?
We’re happy to help. Contact us today and allow us to help you build the best business website!
