If you don’t have a business website, today’s digital-savvy (and impatient) customers may look elsewhere.
2. Provides social proof.
92% percent of consumers claim online reviews influence their buying decisions.
You could rely on FourSquare, Yelp, and other review sites to host reviews for your brand, but you can kill two birds with one stone on your own website. Since potential buyers are already looking for you online, by including customer testimonials on your site you will make a great impression to potential buyers.
3. You control the story.
It’s true that you cannot control what others say about you on social media channels, but you can influence public perception by creating your own story with a business website. By integrating a blog, business owners like yourself can get your message, mission, and personality in front of your target audience faster than print ads or traditional mail brochures. Including social icons linking to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other networking platforms make sharing your content easier for your visitors who like what they see.
4. Your competitors all have company websites.
Consumers typically start their buying journey with research and recommendations from peers as well as social network connections. Recent studies show that once a consumer has an idea of what they need or want, they begin researching. 72 percent of them go online to find educational material, reviews, and testimonials. If you’re not staying competitive with your competition, you’re giving shoppers a reason to buy from another brand.
5. Never put up the ‘closed for business’ sign again. Your website is a 24/7/365 employee.
Nobody wants to work at 3 a.m., but some people like to shop then. If you have business website or ecommerce store, you can sell your products and services all the time. An online store can mean a dramatic boost in sales, especially when you factor in additional customers who are not restricted by geography. Your online presence also supports marketing campaigns, customer service, client relationship building, brand recognition, and almost every other element of the revenue stream. Combining your website with marketing tools, like email marketing, helps you reach new customers and generate repeat business.
6. Show up in Google search results.
Consider this: 83 percent of consumers perform online research before making a purchase. That means they go to Google and type in one or more keywords, like “best leather shoes” or, if they know what they want, “handcrafted Italian leather women’s shoes in San Diego.” If you don’t have a website for your business, the chances of showing up on the search engine results page (SERP) are zero. But if you have a site, you can optimize it for search engines, increasing your chances of appearing at the top of Google’s results and getting more visibility with potential customers.
7. Resource center for your staff.
Your business website can also benefit your own employees. Create an orphan page (one that is not visible anywhere on the site so it can’t be found unless someone is given the direct link) with self-service videos, training materials, or internal forms to help your team learn everything they need to know on their own schedules.
8. Showcase your products and services.
Not only can you display your products or outline your services in detail with beautiful images, but you can provide short video tutorials or downloadable PDF instructions to give hesitant customers no reason to go elsewhere to purchase.
RJS Media Consulting, llc is a full service digital marketing agency that offers affordable solutions for small to mid-size businesses such as website design/development, pay per click advertising, social media marketing, wall banners, signs flyers, etc. We are your one stop shop for all of your branding and digital needs.