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11 Benefits Of A Website for a Business – Big or Small
Why Is a Website Important…does every business need a website?
Short answer is yes, regardless of the size of your business, product or service. Your customers will expect you to be online and your competition will probably be there too.
Creating a business profile on social media like Instagram, Facebook or Twitter etc. is easy, but limiting when you position yourself for serious trading.
All businesses today, even a small enterprise or an NPO, should have a website as a home base. This is the core where your social accounts are linked but also the digital heart of your brand to communicate with your audience and for them to fall in love with.
These 11 benefits of having a website may apply to your unique business:
1. A Website Instils Credibility
A purposefully designed website with seamless and easy navigation, free from typos and careless errors creates trust. It attests to the expertise and character of a business.
2. It’s The Online Face of a Business With A 24/7/365 Showroom
The pandemic made us stay at home…with hours to spend online ( for some it was learning a new skill) and buying things from websites all over the world. This changed the e-commerce landscape forever.
As the online face of a brand, a website is oftentimes customers’ first introduction to this business even if it has a physical shop, practice or office. Having a beautiful business face is worth every investment.
As a 24/7/365 showroom, it is:
not limited by physical floor space
permanently available and convenient to customers regardless of business hours and time zones. You can order something in the middle of the night and have it delivered to your chosen location first thing in the morning
perfectly located - customers have access to your business from anywhere in the world, they can browse your shop without stepping out of their home, or be at work and far from your physical store
a super-efficient sales platform where appointments or bookings can be made for services, frequently asked questions can be answered by your blog posts or an FAQ page.
orders can be placed with money deposited into your bank account while tracking and delivery of orders are monitored and confirmed…a whole lot of action when a business owner could be busy elsewhere or fast asleep.
All in all, the ideal problem solver, yours as well as your customer’s. And if you think the online playground is only accessible to the younger generations, you’ll be surprised how digitally savvy the older generation has became.
3. Websites Are Affordable
Of course, there is no one size fits all. Some websites will be hugely expensive, built with several apps and plug-ins but it can also start minimalistic, highly effective, stunning and affordable…it all depends on your business’s needs.
Strategize. Organize. Capitalize…and discuss your business goals with a reliable business consultancy first for a satisfactory quote.
4. A Website as a Limitless Information Resource
If your business is trading in a vast array of products or services, a website can be an unlimited virtual showcase, loaded with information and images to educate, entertain and reassure your audience. You've got what they need!
Add a blog section with all kinds of informative articles, and customers researching a product that you happen to offer, can be subtly convinced to become your client. If not straight-away, at least a lasting impression can be established…and should your service or product fulfill their need, brand loyalty and recurring interaction is likely to follow.
5. Website as Marketing Tool
A website serves as a measurable and cost-effective marketing tool. People searching online and spending time on your site, will increase your site’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to rank superior when more customers are looking for products or services that you happen to sell.
With web visitor data, you can get a lot of fascinating information. See exactly how many people have been on your site, when and how long, from where in the world and which products they looked at and how many sales made. Now you can implement this data and focus on your target market with the ideal product and either cut the “dead” products or create the mother of all campaigns to boost sales.
The only stumbling block is your creativity!
6. Of Referrals and Brand Love
Customers, happy with a purchase – product or service – will share their satisfaction with people, even if only in their circle of friends and family, but no business should underestimate the power of word of mouth. With your business on the web, this is yet another source of cultivating brand identity and loyalty that can escalate and reward handsomely.
7. Use A Website as Your Online Portfolio
If your company has won any awards or achieved unique successes, create a page on your site and display it proudly. Same with testimonials and reviews. The opportunity to interact with your audience contributes to trust in and loyalty to your brand as well as impacting on your SEO. If applicable, a gallery page with quality images can also be entertaining and captivating.
8. Brick and Mortar Stores Also Benefit from a Website
Even if you have a physical store, a website can add loads of value to it.
Besides customers searching your address, a phone number, business hours or products in stock, they can also do their product research on your website before coming in to buy…that’s if you have uploaded detailed info to educate your audience.
With proper information (that can easily be edited) on your site, you may save on printed material like brochures and catalogues.
If customers are informed, it can both save your staff in store time as well as being available to assist more customers.
This info can also aid in training, and the expertise of your staff – current and new.
Online searches from these role players, all add up to your data footprint to be recognized by search engines that will crank up your SEO ranking.
9. The Value of a Mailing List on your Website
Add a form on your website for people to sign up for your mailing list. This database contains the names of people that are interested to read what you have to say and can be highly effective in promoting brand loyalty and recurring sales or services.
Now this is important - regular communication via emails with your database is where you start real brand love. When news clips about your business involve or resonate with your customers, they will experience a loyal partnership. Besides new products or special deals, emails can be personal and include aspects like sponsorships at school sports, golf days and other awareness campaigns.
10. What’s in a Name?
A lot really.
A website domain name that is easy to spell and pronounce, brandable and unforgettable can live for a very long time. Think of brand names you grew up with that are still part of your life.
You can even create a new word…but choose wisely, to be proud of it. Whether you’re creating it or are working for an established brand, it is now part of your story and worth promoting with enthusiasm to grow brand identity.
11. And Talking About a Story…
On your website, you could dedicate a page to tell your story and as the creator of your story, you’re in control of your brand image.
People buy from people and will always prefer to deal with a human to solve problems instead of a programmed bot. This is how you build invaluable brand trust and the spinoff is that your reputation as an authority in your field will become established.
Company-branded email addresses also carry substantial credibility in communication with customers.
How To Create A Striking Website
“A striking website subtly captivates its visitors, leading them on an intuitive and delightful user journey to respond to a CTA button naturally.”
Some ideas to consider for that dream website:
It must be fast loading and responsive with no technical glitches
Choose a web-safe font that loads fast and is easy to read.
Mobile and tablet but especially thumb friendly. People and smartphones are now inseparable, and your business will most likely be searched on a phone rather than a desktop device. Your website is for your customers (you may love it too, but your customers must love it more).
If applicable/possible, consider adding a live chat option that could help your customers immediately.
It should be modern, frequently updated with relevant information, and an honest FAQ section ( if applicable).
Blogs and vlogs can add to your audience's entertainment and education as well as your SEO.
Visually appealing, color gradients or overlays may be added for a pleasing background on a site’s pages.
Use clean images or include a photography and graphics blend.
A mindful color palette will evoke a mood, be it soft neutral or bold (bold and saturated promised to be rather trendy in 2022).
The correct use of grammar in uncluttered and compelling website copy, with breathing space between paragraphs and sentences, reads like a breeze.
A subtle use of videos, custom illustrations, sliders, micro animation, and organic shapes will break straight lines. If it is something your eyes can feast on, go for it, keeping in mind less is more.
A Call-To-Action slider or pop-up with pleasing copy and some bold typography that’s attention-grabbing but positioned to not be intrusive and irritating.
A seamless navigational journey from easy checkout to return to the homepage, will inspire a response to the CTA button.
When you're starting out as an entrepreneur, you try to cover all bases like product manufacturing or service delivery and PR, as well as managing your own social and digital marketing. You may even try your hand at developing your own website and online shop.
It is indeed being done successfully by many, but they will also tell you it takes a lot of hard work and sometimes costly mistakes. It's been said, being your own boss is the toughest employer to work for.
Conclusion
If you think of the humble beginnings of many big brands today, you are in good company. The difference is that at some point these brands brought in people to take over certain tasks with the golden rule to find someone for the job, better than themselves.
Contact SOC Business Consulting today for a free 30-minute consultation and get excited about being in business, doing what you do best.
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