Small Business Website
Can you remember the last time you used the yellow pages to look up a business? we cant remember either, although the latest copy that was dropped off at Affordable websites office seems to have shrunk alot compared to previous copies. Over the past 5 years alone we have seen the golden pages, yellow pages and business directories shrink to an all time low as almost every business nowadays have chosen the online route as there main source of advertising for their business. These days the best way to find new businesses, products, and services is by searching the internet for options. It’s really of no great surprise that most businesses today have gone down the online route to the internet, to connect with consumers in a way practically unheard of 30 years ago.
Now, only you can decide whether or not a website is right for you, but here are seven reasons to make the change.
Here are 7 reasons why your business needs a small business website
1. Your main competition is already online.
Choosing to get your business online with other businesses that have gone online is a no-brainer at this point. In 2016 not having a website for a small business is rather like saying that you do not need the revenue and an online presence is not for your business. The simple fact is that if you are a business and if not all of your competition is already online, and they’re getting customers that you’re not as a result. Not having a small business website is a huge disadvantage to your own business.
2. A small business website will increase your audience.
Having a small business website opens up your business and your products to a global audience, which is especially important if you utilize your website as an e-store. Selling your products online is a great way to supplement your offline business, and even if you’re not selling a product even the simplest of websites offers exposure to a free market otherwise left untapped. Plus, we live in a culture where “Google It” is a phrase used by almost everyone in Ireland on a daily basis, and I think not having a website is a bit of an oversight for any business in existence if they are to succeed.
3. 24/7 customer service.
Having a small business website is a great move for customer service, allowing your customers to find basic information online that they would otherwise have to call in about taking up the time of you or your employees that could be better spent doing other work. Information requests by customers, or prospective customers, can be handled instantly. A website can work for you while your business is closed, allowing customers to figure out vital information they would otherwise have to wait to have answered. Your business can run online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. With some attention to detail and a solid SEO strategy, your website could become your most valued asset.
4. A small business website allows you to create a very good first impression.
We all have phones and where your customers can pull out his smartphone and access your website within 10 seconds is a massive bonus to your business if they require information. You can likely see how this kind of instant gratification also results in a viewer making a judgment about your website and any service it offers. Unless your website is mobile responsive, showcases useful information about your business and user friendly you’re likely to lose a customer. Just like your business store front, it is your job to create the first impression to get customers in the door or on the phone. Creating a small business website puts you in pole position. A good website design company knows how to implement a style that portrays the impression you intend users to have leaving your business.
5. Great for recruitment.
Your small business website is a great tool for recruitment when you’re looking to fill positions with your business as you can advertise for free and set a page within your website that users can include the relevant information that you require and upload their CV at ease. The classified ads have all but disappeared from newspapers and have moved to digital (like everything else). Your website can be a direct hub for processing online applications, taking the hassle away from sorting through piles of cover letters and CV’s.
6. Having a small business website makes you more discoverable.
Getting discovered online goes beyond search engine results, and having a website with well thought out keywords, proper coding, and appropriate classification aids in having your business information indexed on GPS devices, social media, and other websites that index your business’s information for users to access.
7. People are already talking about your business online.
This comes as a surprise to many small business website owners, but there’s a chance that your business already has a presence online. With websites like Yelp, Google, Facebook, Twitter and other websites that allow user feedback, you can bet that someone has already reviewed your business. It’s an unfortunate truth, but a customer who has had a bad experience with your business is more likely to take to the internet to write a review than someone who had a pleasant experience. Having a small business website and utilizing search engine optimization techniques allows you to push this kind of website further down the page in the search results. Even with positive reviews, if the first thing that pops up when users search your business name is a user review site like Yelp your credibility takes a steep slide, even if you have more good reviews than bad. Having a small business website gives you the opportunity to have customer testimonials online and you can dictate what customers are seeing online about your business.
