Does my business really need a website?
This is a question that I get asked weekly when talking to clients about their marketing strategy. Today, I’ll touch on the question and provide some resources for further research. In a short answer, YES. A website is crucial to your business and it’s marketing strategy. It truly doesn’t matter which industry you’re in. In today’s day and age, everyone needs a digital presence. This is a virtual showcase of your work, while proving your credibility to consumers, aiding in customer service, and giving you a strong foundation on which to build your marketing strategy. Below, I’ll go over a few key advantages of a website, as well as leave some links to reference articles.
Credibility
One of the main advantages of a website is to build your businesses credibility. There is a good chance that you are not the only business in your region that is offering a similar service. However, there is probably a select few that provides a digital presence, showcasing their business. This website provides legitimacy to your business and builds a level of trust with your consumer. I had a recent conversation with a friend, regarding legitimacy. They said “If a business doesn’t have a website, the chances that I will contact them are very slim…I would love to do business locally, but I notice that so few have a website. I would like to know more about them before investing my time and money into trying them out.” This conversation came about because they had been trying to find a new beauty salon and mechanic. This may be an extreme example, however this Gen Z consumer had an excellent point and represents a vast majority of the emerging Millennial and Gen Z consumer populations.
Increased Traffic and Leads
A website helps to gain more organic traffic and an increase of leads. When your contact information and general business information is listed, a consumer is much more likely to contact you regarding your product or service. If you have a well designed website, with SEO optimized content, your chances of showing up in Google searches get higher and higher as time goes on. All of this is done in an organic way, with no ad-spend or paid marketing. This is why our maintenance packages have become so popular, once we complete a website design project. This monthly retainer helps to keep your website up in search engines and optimize the content to become the most attractive to your prospective consumers. Many of our clients never log in to their website. If updates are needed, you’re one contact away from having it completed. This means more time doing what you do best and less time learning something new.
Customer Service
Customer service always has been and will continue to be of utmost importance to a businesses success. A website can help your customer service by posting your hours, FAQ’s, etc. Consumers are continually wanting convenience, so why not give them some convenience? If they can take a quick look at your website and get vital information regarding your business, while gaining value, this only builds the business to consumer relationship. Business owners are always busy and cannot always take that phone call. If a consumer tries to call your business, and you’re not able to take the call, it only hurts your business and your consumer experience.
Digital Marketing
This one may be the most important of them all. A website exponentially helps your digital marketing strategy. It is extremely hard to have a marketing strategy without a website. I look at a marketing strategy like building a home. The website is the foundation of the marketing strategy, tying all aspects together. It gives you the credibility your business needs and allows you to build a strong marketing strategy on top of it. If you make a social media post regarding your product or service, a consumer will most likely look for a link to your website to get more information. It is very difficult for a business to have one without the other. According to Five CRM, “Both Gen Z and Millennials are digital natives who heavily rely on digital channels for information and engagement. To effectively reach these audiences, businesses must embrace digital marketing strategies such as social media marketing, influencer collaborations, content marketing, and mobile optimization. Being present and active on the platforms where these generations spend their time in vital.” While this was mostly focused on younger generations, the same can be said for all generations. We have record high screen times these days, allowing businesses more opportunities than ever, to grow their reach through multiple channels. Build your marketing strategy today, with a strong foundation to last years to come.
If you’d like to launch your digital presence, contact us to get started today.
Refer to this article from Forbes, on the importance of having a website for your business.
Refer to this article from Five CRM, on today’s marketing strategies and most effective practices.