In today’s world, if you do not have a website, then you are lacking one of the most important marketing tools when it comes to your business. Alongside social media, creating a fully designed website can bring customers to you, instead of having to rely on word of mouth.
Whilst it might seem like a daunting task, there are many benefits to owning a website, and in reality it can even make you extra money along the way.
Also, it is fairly inexpensive to do, meaning anyone has the ability to take their business online.
If you are ready to take the plunge into the world of website building, then now is the time to take advantage of what the likes of Google have to offer to grow your business.
Initial Start-Up of A Website
It is common as a small business to have concerns, from money to design. What you may find is that once any initial costs have been paid, for example if you decide to allow a professional to design the website, any other on-going payments are minimal.
There are so many long-term benefits that any start-up costs should not be the deciding factor whether to go ahead with building a website.
Making sure your website is accessible on all platforms (such as a smartphone, tablet and computer) will take your business to new heights. So never think of any initial design costs as a negative – it can all make a big difference with how well your business succeeds online and in real life.
Why A Website Is Not All About Selling Goods
If you do not sell goods, then you might be wondering how a website can benefit you. What you may not realize is that a website is more than just about selling products.
In a way, you are ‘selling’ something, and that is your business. Whilst social media can also be used to sell goods, it is primarily used as a way to promote your business. So, you can think of a website as the same thing, however it is a lot more direct – there is no third party social media account involved.
This means you can speak to the client or customer directly from the company source, rather than through status updates and photographs.
When it comes to a business, you will want to make sure you are using all the marketing tools available to you. A website can be found on search engines, so learning how to use SEO and to design the website in a particular way will be extremely beneficial to your business overall.
Worried About Having Enough Content
Not having enough content is one of the main reasons people do not start a website. Even though this is understandable, just having a website is good enough to begin with.
Over time you can always find new ways to freshen up the content, and even bring somebody in to write it for you.
A blog section is a great idea if you want to add information relating to the business in a fun and digestible way, and it can also generate new interest. Whenever you are adding something to the website like a fully curated post, think of it as a new way to reach more people to the site.
Generally, just having an online presence to start with is beneficial. You can add the website address to any promotional content, and it will direct people to the website. Even though word of mouth is seen as old fashioned, it is still useful when businesses are concerned.
Your website can have the information on your business all in one place, as well as contact details. What is better than that?
Why Having A Website Is Beneficial
So what are the main benefits of having a website? Let us take a look in more detail:
Online Presence
Having an online presence is one of the biggest reasons to build a website. It means people can check out your company 24/7, even when you are not at work. They can contact you out of hours, and conveniently in their own time.
Also, your closest competitors may already have a website which puts them ahead of you. The majority of people tend to Google something, rather than purposely go out and find it. Being online means they can come across you, and hopefully spend money or seek advice.
Professional Business
If you do not have a website, it can come across as not being professional or modern. Most businesses have a website, and the reason is because the habits of clients and customers have changed over the last decade.
We are more connected online than ever before, and a website is a simple way to not only become a part of modern society, but to help those find you.
Just like with having an online presence, the way a website looks can either make or break the next step of the person who has come across it. Even so, just having a website can prove invaluable to any business.
Advertising
There are two ways to look at advertising online – through putting something like Google Adwords on your own website, or advertising via social media, which can take people directly to your website and social pages.
The former is a great way to make extra income, and is especially useful when you build up traffic to your website. Whilst it is not always necessary to have adverts, it is a good way to make money if your website is your business.
The latter is useful for when you want to reach a new audience, or to target specific people, for example those aged between 25-30 who live in a particular area. Whilst you will have to pay for this, it can reap some great benefits.
If you are advertising on the website, these new people will generate money for you because of how the ads work, but also if you are a business who sells products or a service, they may use it.
Social Networks
Linking social media accounts to a website is a great way to show that you are active, and that you have content to show off. An Instagram or Tiktok page can be used as a behind the scenes area, whilst Facebook is great for providing information.
Having the links on the website will give people a route to ‘following’ the business. Also, having the website link on social media pages allows for people to potentially use it.
Whilst time consuming, always keep social media accounts up-to-date, even if the website only gets updated once a month – unless your website is the business. This way people will know that you are a reliable company who is still doing work.
Customer Service
A website can give customers a direct way to contact a business. There is also usually an FAQ page to help people sort out an issue before even having to make contact if necessary.
There are ways to add a chat system for immediate help, or a contact box to fill-in so the customer can expect a reply via email.
It is also a place where customers can contact you about positive feedback too, and a website is a great place to show that off. Anything like this can earn you trust from potential customers if they can see you provide a good service.
Expanding Your Market
If you want to expand your client base, then having a website is the way to go. If you sell goods for example, a website can be seen worldwide and is a great opportunity to broaden those who may buy from it.
Unless you want to stay local, for example the business only relates to local people, then the world is your oyster and a website is the best place to show the company off, and to get new customers or clients – or even readers.
Understanding The Customer
Using analytic tools can help with understanding the customer. You can find out where they come from, how they did so (such as through a Google search, another website link or social media), what stuff they like and so much more.
This can help you to understand who it is that buys your products, or reads your posts. In doing so, you can create ads on social media to target a particular demographic, or just generally understand them better.
Also, you can grow your own brand along with this information, by creating promos that suit the buyer, or changing anything offline that may benefit you and the customer.
The Next Steps
It is easy to want to build a website, but how do you start? Here are the next steps to take:
- If you have design knowledge and want to build something yourself from scratch, then take a look at platforms which allow for you to do so quickly without needing to know coding. WordPress, Wix and Squarespace provide a space for you to design a website how you want to, though to get the most benefit you will need to spend money.
- Seek out a professional designer to do the hard work. This is especially useful if you have no design skills, or want to use a platform like Wix. A designer can put together something for you, but it will cost you money. Take note of their portfolio, how much they can do for you and cost – however, just like with getting a tattoo, never go with the lowest price just because it is cheaper, always go with high quality.
- Before you begin, no matter if you are designing the website yourself or using a professional, always look at a few competitors. See how they are using a website to market their business, and what works and what does not look like it is working. Make a few notes of what you like, and adapt them into your own model – just do not completely copy it, create something of your own.
- Keep the website going. Do as much research as you can, even when the website is up and running. You will want to find ways to reach a bigger audience in your local area, or even further out.
- If you want to go a step further, learn about how to collect your own data such as analytics. This is especially useful if you are wanting to make money from advertising, and if you are generally interested to see what is working best on your website to get people to take notice of it.
Final Words
Creating a website is absolutely beneficial for any business. Whilst the initial costs may seem daunting, they can be minimal, especially if you have any prior knowledge to building a website, or if you use an online tool like WordPress to help.
You will find that a website can only flourish your business, especially if you take advantage of all of the marketing tools available to you.
So, what are you waiting for? Get your business online.
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