It is true when they said that the world is now in our hands, and the information is at our fingertips. The Internet gives us access to a world of information. The advancement of technology continues to transform how people connect, share information, and live a quality life.
Millions of people spend long hours on the Internet searching for products or services, reading a blog, watching entertaining videos, or listening to podcasts. Considering this information, the marketing competition has also moved online. Businesses promote their products and/or services online. Websites became an all-powerful marketing tool that attracts and informs potential customers about your business.
Today, operating a business without an online presence could mean losing out on a lot of opportunities to stay in front of your target customers and make sales. Understanding how to market your website in today’s digital world is key to growing your business many folds.
Here is why having a website is imperative for your business:
- Establishes the Credibility and Trust
Businesses can indeed build their brand presence on social media. However, social media has a restricted platform when it comes to design, process, and technology. You can only take advantage of what it has to offer. On the other hand, having a website allows you to customize its design, transaction process, and many more. It gives you more flexibility, control, branding, and credibility. Numerous surveys report that people are more likely to trust a business with a website, making it more credible than those with only a social media page.
- Sky Rockets Your Revenue
Having a website can give your access to potentially limitless sales and revenues. With the right strategies, you can increase the reach of your website and rack up your revenues. Optimizing your website for search engines enables your target customers to easily find you when they are looking for your products and/or services.
- Boost Online Presence
A website is just the first step. You do not need to have a grand website to be successful. You just need to have to partner with the best SEO agency in Lisbon to build a solid online presence, which can turn your website into a dynamic marketing tool to help maximize your business’ potential. You can also use your website to influence how your target audience sees your brand or company as a whole.
- Cost-Effective
Owning or renting a commercial space for your physical store usually involves a large investment. Additionally, interiors, furniture, and employees can also be additional expenses for your business. On the other hand, building a website is a cost-effective option that does not require hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote your business and sell your products and/or services. You can use CMS, like Shopify, WordPress, or Wix, to create a website with minimal or no help at all. However, if you opt for a complex website, such as e-Commerce or those with plenty of pages, you might require the services of a web design expert. However, the cost of hiring a professional is far more affordable than setting up a physical store.
- Accessibility
A good website should be accessible to potential customers for updates and announcements at any time. Unlike a physical store, a website operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, meaning your business does not run on a traditional 9 AM to 5 PM schedule to cater to customers. Consider your website as a virtual front porch to your business. That is why it is crucial to establish a good first impression, especially if you do not own a physical store. Your website is the only contact or frame of reference potential customers have. This is enough to emphasize the essence of having a good website.
- Instant Communication
Accessibility is a 2-way street. If your website is accessible to your customer, you also have access to your customers anytime. In addition to superb customer service, another way to establish direct contact with your potential customers is through a good landing page. A well-designed website has easy-to-use contact or email forms and other features, such as a live chat or 24/7 coverage to ensure that your customers will get immediate answers to their queries.
- Generate More Leads and Boost Sale
At the end of the day, the essence of having a good website really comes down to the growth of your business. Responsive design, informative and relevant content, good customer service, and customer trust are factors that lead to generating more transactions for your business. Among the purpose of a great website is to help you boost new lead generations and drive more conversions. When your website generates more conversions, the more likely your business will grow and increase your opportunity to continually improve.
- Build Relationship with Customers
Most customers love to do business with a company they trust. When you are able to gain the trust of your customers, it will be easier for you to build a strong relationship with them through your website. Your website is a platform where your people can get to know more about your business, your offerings, and your story. Once they start to feel comfortable, they will start to trust and choose your business.
Additionally, putting a picture or profile of you can make you appear more trustworthy and real to your target audience. People are more likely to contact and communicate with you. Furthermore, sharing informative and relevant content and getting active on social media can take the concept of building a relationship with customers to a whole new level.
What Happens if You Do Not Have a Business Website
Perhaps there are still many companies that are not convinced of the importance of having a business website. Now, we will take a quick look at the possible consequences that might occur if you run a business without an online presence.
- Limits Your Audience Reach
The biggest advantage that comes with having a business website is that it boosts your customer reach with ease. You do not have to invest in costly traditional marketing materials, such as TV or radio ads, billboards, or print ads, to promote your business. People simply have to visit your website if they want to learn more about your business and service. Without a website, you will automatically lose a lot of opportunities to get in touch with your ideal clients.
- Gives You a Sense of Instability
A company without a website may appear less stable and make your business look amateurish and unprofessional to your target customers. When people do not find information about your business, they feel hesitant to buy your products or services. Hence, this gives your brand a sense of instability, causing customers to avoid and not trust your business.
- Poor Customer Relationship
A well-structured and designed website can easily build a bridge between your business and prospects. This interconnectivity is an essential factor in the promotion of your brand and building a strong online presence in your business endeavors. You can use your website to deliver the updates of your company instantly to your customers. A business without a website loses the opportunity to establish a connection with its prospects and vice versa. Having a website can help you get to know your customers and the problems they have. You can use this information to strengthen your connection with your audience.
- Costly Advertising Expenses
How to advertise your website to your target audience can make or break the success of your business. Business owners who run their business without a website usually invest in traditional marketing materials to advertise their business on TV, radio, billboards, or newspapers. Advertisements allow businesses to go head to head against their competitors in the long run. Investing in advertisements is crucial for business branding. However, traditional methods can be a bit pricey. It does not only break the bank but is also less effective as more people are relying on the Internet to look for business and products or services. On the other hand, building a website with good structure and design is the most feasible way to advertise your company online. Not only it is affordable but also highly effective. Without a website, you miss these priceless benefits.
- Lack of Competitiveness
A business with no website does not get online exposure as its competitors with a website. No matter what industry your business belongs to, if your target customers do not find you online, it is like your business does not exist at all to them. Staying in front of your prospects helps increase your competitive edge against your local rivals. Keep in mind that more than 3 billion people worldwide use the Internet. When potential customers need a specific product or service, they will likely turn to Google or other search engines for information. If you have a web page optimized for relevant keywords, it will show up in the SERPs. If not, your competitors are more likely to dominate the search engine rankings and position themselves as the go-to product or service in your industry.
Never make the mistake of relying all your business efforts on social media platforms. Having a website for your business can make a difference between thriving and get left behind.