7 Reasons Your Small Business NEEDS a Website

There are many ways you can give your small business an online presence. This includes creating profiles for your business on social media and other websites. However, central to establishing yourself as a legitimate business is having a dedicated website.

There are many benefits to having your own website. We will take a look at the top seven benefits you stand to gain when you create a website for your business or brand.

1. To Increase Traffic

When you start up a business, getting customers is the goal. Customers are the life-blood that will keep your business running. To convert people into paying customers, you first need traffic to your business. Whether you have a storefront or do business remotely, people need to be able to find you. Forms of marketing such as billboards, flyers, and even TV ads don’t have as much potential reach as the internet does.

While there are many ways to increase traffic to your business, having a website for your small business is one of the most effective ways. People looking for products or services to fulfill specific needs or to solve specific problems more often than not use search engines to find them.

2. To Build Trust

These days, businesses without websites seem suspicious. Potential customers often seek websites to confirm the credibility and professionalism of businesses, brands, individuals, and more. Once they find a business to be credible and professional, a basis for trust is built. Without trust, customers can easily become wary of doing business with you which can cost your business business a great deal.

3. To Increase Sales

If you run a small business, you’re probably also running on a relatively lower marketing budget. There are many operational expenses and costs that you prioritize and that you invest your hard-earned money on. As such, it can be pretty tricky to invest your money in creating a website when other things seem more crucial to running your business.

However, an investment in a website can drive your reach, customers, and profit, which ultimately pays back your investment with interest. It can transform your small business into one that takes in exponentially more revenue.

4. It’s Your Social Proof

Over half of the consumers in the world have revealed that online reviews influence their buying decisions. They read what people are saying about specific products and services. You probably do this too. It’s the reason why review websites like Yelp and FourSquare are popular today. It creates your business’ social proof, a psychological factor that influences us all.

As a small business, it may be difficult to get reviews for your business on these major websites, so it’s helpful to have a website of your own. You can highlight customer reviews and testimonials, and describe your business in your own words.

5. Because Your Competitors Have Websites

Your competitors are likely to have a website. This means they have an advantage with potential reach and also have more trust with potential customers.

6. For Content Marketing

A website paves the way for you to do even more marketing online, such as creating content. Whether articles, blogs, or videos, providing content online helps attract and retain an audience that can eventually convert into sales and profit.

7. You Are Always Reachable

The internet never sleeps. All day, everyday, people are online seeking information and making transactions online for goods and services. Telling potential customers about your product or service on a website can happen 24-7, even while you’re asleep. And even better, for e-commerce websites, sales can also happen while you’re asleep.

Having an online store can give your business a drastic boost in sales, especially when you consider those customers who are not in your time zone. With your website, you can also build solid relationships with your clients and offer top-notch customer service.

Hopefully you have a better understanding of why websites can benefit all businesses, big or small!