Do I Need a Website for My Business?
Yes – Here’s Why
Over the past decade, the Internet has become one of the most useful tools that entrepreneurs can take advantage of. In fact, having a strong online presence for your brand has been proven to exponentially increase your sales and conversions.
But, many business owners are on the fence when it comes to the answer of ‘do I need a website for my company?’ This is especially true if they’re already performing well in their local market.
The answer is a resounding yes, and it’s important to understand why. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.
You’ll Answer Basic Questions
The Internet is one of the greatest research tools in all of history, and its utility has caused researchers to define the era we live in as the ‘Information Age.’ So, people who discover your company will likely turn to Google to see what you have to offer, any problem areas that may be present, etc.
They’ll also want to learn more about your company as a whole, which is information most easily gained from your company website. Things like a list of your products and services, your company background and story, and how someone can contact you are often essential for people to have access to before they make the decision to get in touch with you about doing business.
If this information isn’t readily available, it’s highly probable that they’ll move on to a competitor who has more of an online presence (even if their service isn’t on par with yours).
Online Reputation Matters
When people are looking for a business for a product or service, one of the most important attributes they keep an eye out for is how reputable the company is. If you’re not using the Internet, you’re likely going only by word-of-mouth. For example, if your home’s roof was damaged during a storm and you need to find a reputable contractor, you’ll likely ask your friends or family if they’ve worked with anyone in the past who they can trust.
The issue here, though, is that just because your business may be reputable offline doesn’t mean that everyone who’s looking for your services will be aware of it. Unless they’ve heard about you from another person firsthand, they likely have no idea or whether or not you can meet the standards they have.
Fortunately, there’s a handful of online platforms that people use to rate their experience with companies (Yelp, Google Business, Facebook, etc.) that entrepreneurs can use to their advantage. But, in a society that’s so ‘plugged in’ when it comes to Internet usage, having zero online reputation is often the equivalent of having a poor one.
But, having online ratings won’t mean much if you don’t have a website that people can explore. Examples of your work, client testimonials, etc. are likely enough to help someone make the decision to contact you.
It Establishes You as an Industry Authority
After enough time has passed and you’ve built enough of a portfolio and reputation, your website will serve to establish you as an authority in your industry. This is especially true when you begin to rank higher on Google’s search results.
But, you’ll also have the opportunity to establish yourself in this way through the content on your website. High-quality blog posts, case studies, reviews, etc. are great ways to show your audience that you’re both knowledgeable and trustworthy as a business.
Once this trust has been built, you’ll find that people will have a tendency to gravitate toward you instead of your competitors due to the level of reliability that you convey. As previously mentioned, having no online reputation or website can actually hurt your business, which will likely prevent your audience from perceiving you as someone they can trust.
You Can Collect Customer Data
One of the most important aspects of having a company website is that you’ll be able to gather information about your audience. This includes things like:
- How long they spend on your site
- What pages they spend the most time on
- What they search in order to find your site
- The total amount of traffic within a given time period
With this data, you can make any necessary changes in the future in order to optimize the experience they have while they’re on your site. For example, you may find that your audience is highly likely to immediately back out of a certain page. Upon investigating further, you may discover that the media player on this page would crash and fail to load properly.
Additionally, you’ll be able to look back over the last few months (or even years) and gain insight into your progress. If there’s an upward trend, you’ll know you’re on the right track.
If things have been a bit rocky, you can dive deeper into your analytics and see what areas you need to focus on in order to reach the numbers you’re after.
Answering ‘Do I Need a Website’ Can Seem Difficult
But it doesn’t have to be.
With the above information about the answer to ‘do I need a website for my company’ in mind, you’ll be well on your way to building your online presence and hitting metrics like never before.
Want to learn more about how we can help? Feel free to get in touch with us today to see what we can do.