The short answer to this is YES! You should have a website for a small business.
Every business should have a website and online presence to showcase its product and services to create more business and increase revenue.
We live in a digital age now where everything is at our fingertips.
So looking for a local restaurant, phone repair shop, or dog groomer, we can pop these businesses/services into Google and see which ones suit our needs best.
People nowadays don’t like phone calls; we are more introverted now than ever and would instead not call a business to see if they offer x,y and z.
Here are some interesting local search statistics you should know about:
- 97% of users searched online to find a local business
- A purchase follows 28 % of all local searches
- 78% of local searches on mobile result in an offline purchase
- 70% of consumers will visit a store because of information found online
- 62% of consumers will disregard a business if they can’t find them online
There are several valid reasons why every business should consider a website for their business, and we will go through them here.
7 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs A Website
1. Credibility
Why should a potential client choose your business over a competitor? What makes you different?
A website acts as social proof where you can showcase your products and services that offer you creditability before speaking to a potential customer.
For example, a local architect without a website cannot showcase their fantastic work that could instantly show that their previous designs are the perfect fit for their potential customer.
Showcasing your brand to your potential clients is one of the most important things you can do by clearly outlining what you do, how you do it, and where you do it.; You increase the chances of your customers buying from you.
2. Stand Out From Your Competition
Having a website for your business makes you stand out from the competition. This was the case when my wife and I were building our home.
We searched online for builders in the area, and to our surprise, few builders had a website.
The builder we went ahead with had a website that showcased their services, where they work and the type of projects they work with.
For example, to our surprise, when we contacted many builders without a site, many of them did not do new builds.
This was time-consuming for the builders we called and the time we wasted calling them.
3. Control of How You Sell
Your website acts as a funnel for potential clients.
When a client visits your website, and you have a well-designed website flow, the site will automatically qualify the lead for you and see if the products and services you offer meet their needs and requirements.
This website flow or funnel will eventually lead the user to a Call to Action on the website, for example calling the company, emailing through a contact form, purchasing a product online, etc.
You might think, “I have a Facebook page; why do I need a website for a small business?”.
But unfortunately, a Facebook page is not designed to convert leads into customers. Anybody can create a Facebook page.
They are free, easy to set up and don’t offer much to convert followers into clients.
Why? Well, there’s not much credibility behind it.
Anyone can be running it.
Is a paid marketing company managing it?
A website shows a business is more serious about its business and willing to invest in it and not rely on a Facebook page to market it.
4. Sell Online
If you have a brick-and-mortar store selling products, you could leave so many sales on the table.
However, selling your products online offers the most significant opportunity to reach more customers outside your locality, domestically and globally.
An E-Commerce store is much cheaper and easier to set up than it was ten years ago.
You don’t need to hire a company to charge you tens of thousands of euros or an in-house IT guy to manage it.
Hiring a web designer to create a beautiful website that converts is very affordable for a small business now, as well as being easy to manage by the business owner once the site is complete.
If you own a brick-and-mortar store, creating an online store is the most significant opportunity you are missing out on.
Any business without a website knows well about this when Covid-19 darkened our doors and forced us into Lockdowns.
But unfortunately, companies with E-Commerce stores could keep operating and earning money.
Covid-19 shocked many business owners with what they were missing by not being a part of the online world.
5. More Business For Free
Have you ever heard of SEO? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation and offers the best ROI (Return on Investment).
If your business is at the top of Google’s search results, you are getting some of the highest converting warm traffic leads available and for free.
You don’t need to invest in paid advertising or anything.
This is one of the main reasons many businesses decide to get a website.
However, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine.
You usually don’t launch your website; BOOM; you are at the top of Google’s search results.
Ranking at the top of Google takes time and can sometimes be costly.
Luckily, with some key strategies, Sloane Web Services can get your website ranking with our “One Time SEO Boost” service.
This overhaul checks your website at every angle to maximise your google ranking potential.
The average timeframe to see ROI-positive results from Local SEO is just under five months, according to research carried out by Safari Digital.
6. Improve Customer Service
Better customer service is one of the main benefits of having a website for your small business.
Why?
When you have a website, you can list your opening hours, locations open, and services you offer.
This means that customers don’t have to pick up the phone to call you to see if you are open at 8 am or 10 am, open on Saturdays, etc.
Although valid and common customer questions, they are time-consuming tasks that get in the way of your staff’s productivity and day to operations.
A simple website makes all this information easy to find and will limit the phone calls and customer queries you might get.
7. Marketing
Ok, your business is going well, but you want to take it to the next level.
Maybe you want to sell online or put the word out about your business.
One of the easiest and quickest ways to do this is with Paid Ads and Email Marketing.
However, you need a website to get the best out of this.
A Facebook page, in this case, is just wasted money on leads, in my opinion.
I mentioned the funnel above, where we send our visitors into a funnel that qualifies them as a lead and, eventually, a customer.
This is where Paid Ads flourish, especially when you have a high-converting website.
Once you get traffic to your website, you can use Facebook or Instagram Pixels to retarget the customers who visit your website.
Did you know, on average, someone must hear or see a product or service seven times before they make a purchase (read more)?
By setting up these pixels, you can easily retarget potential clients and set up what is called look-a-like audiences, which Facebook create with users who match the type of customer that appears to like your website, product or service.
I.e. Age, sex, demographics, interests, etc.
It’s crazy to think about how far online marketing has come and what it can do for your business.
Conclusion
Having a website for a small business is one of the best things you can do to grow your business.
When done right, the return on investment you receive could far out weight the cost of a website.
If you are serious about taking your business to the next level and think a website could be a good fit, please contact the team at Sloane Web Services HERE.
We would be delighted to be a part of your online journey.