We live in an ever-evolving digital world. If you own a business it is paramount to have an online presence in the way of a website, especially for small businesses selling products and services. If you plan on having a lot of customers, you need an online presence to give your clients information at the click of a button. An Internet presence, to market your products and services in today’s digital world, is essential for a successful business. It will be difficult to compete without an accessible platform as the backbone of your brand.
If you are considering why a website is so important; we’ve broken it down for you in the list of advantages below:
Builds Credibility
By simply being online, your small business will gain credibility. Think about when you’re looking for a specific item; you have a quick google search, and find a website that’s distinctive, informative and has great reviews. That being said, you need to make sure you stay current, look professional and appear in search engines results, otherwise you’ll lose that status in no-time.
Online Presence
A 2015 study performed by Verisign reported that “84% consumers believe that small businesses with websites are more credible than ones without an online presence. It also concluded that 65% of consumers consider a company branded email to be more credible than a generic email account such as Gmail, Outlook.com, AOL, or Yahoo mail.” In today’s technical world, you need to have a strong digital brand – as well as a site; you’ll need social media profiles to connect with your users on another platform.
Better Customer Service
It’s a known fact that having a web presence will help you improve your customer service. If you’re a store owner and have staff-members, you can’t oversee them 24/7 to observe how they are interacting with clients. In the online world, however, nothing stays secret; you can monitor your staff’s work and ensure your customers are receiving a speedy and helpful reply.
Your Business is Accessible at All Times
A website is available to you and your customers 24/7, 365 days a year. If they are awake at 1 am and are thinking of purchasing something from you, they can click on your site and do this instantaneously –a win-win situation for all. Having an online presence also provides them with the convenience of reviewing your products and services when your store or office is closed.
A Platform to Showcase Your Work
No matter what type of industry you’re in; a website is a great way to showcase your work. You can do this through an online portfolio, image gallery and customer reviews. You can demonstrate why your business is unique and offer feedback about your work. Take eBay for example – most shoppers base their opinion on the seller after reading recent testimonials.
Staying Current
A web presence is a great platform to help you stay up-to-date; you can update your information and add or remove items at the click of a button (faster than you would be able to in real-life). Whether it’s breaking news or the latest trend, if you’re swift, you can beat your competition and release it first.
An Advantage Over the Competition
Following on from the previous benefit, a well-marketed site can help you can gain market share at the expense of your competition. In order to do this, you need a great website that offers users a unique experience.
Customer Interaction
Another reason for you to move your business online is that you’re able to interact with your customers whenever and from wherever. This could be through news updates, live chat, email conversations or comments on your page. You’ll be available to offer your expert advice and prove your credibility at any given moment.
Powerful Marketing Medium
By simply having a website, you can market your service and reach thousands of people. By staying up to date with the latest digital Marketing trends, you can push your page and climb search engine results. It’s a crowded and highly competitive field, with small companies fighting tooth and nail to attract the attention of would-be customers. At the risk of stating the obvious, a quality website is essential if you want your business to punch above its weight.
Build a Readership
Publishing blog posts, content and information on new products and services will help you to attract an online audience. Through email marketing, you can reach out to your clients and offer them discounts and exclusive access that new consumers wouldn’t have.
Summary
To really reap the rewards of having a website for your business, it needs to serve as a professional online presence, making it easy for people to find and contact you. It should be optimized so that people can find it when they search online and it should be easy for you to update your content every time you need to make a change to your site.
