If you still have doubts about the importance of a website for your business or SME, consider these 7 reasons:
- It is the control center for all the marketing of your business.
- It is the showcase to sell products or services.
- It helps you generate leads (and makes it easier to retain customers).
- It allows local businesses to compete with big brands.
- It helps you build credibility.
- You control your story online.
- A website for business is cheap (and very profitable).
Now that you know the importance of a web page, you no longer have excuses for not launching that of your venture or company. If you don’t do it soon you’re going to be missing out on a lot.
1. A website for your business is the control center for all the marketing processes
First of all, any advertising campaign starts with how your website is created: all the details of your business, products, offers and promotions must be online.
Your website literally acts as a portal for customers to learn more about your brand, learn about your business offering, and decide if they want to do business with your company.
Thus, before allocating budget to advertising, you have to follow the steps to create a website that include:
- Get a custom domain name and add-on domain extensions.
- Choosing a hosting plan
- Choosing a web platform (either a content manager like WordPress, a website builder or an online store for e-commerce).
You can check the plans that include the three previous elements, plus a corporate email to use the domain of your website in your email addresses.
In addition, you can start creating digital advertising campaigns such as email marketing.
Massively send a weekly, monthly or fortnightly newsletter with news, promotions and detailed information on your value proposition to the email addresses you have captured.
Ads in search engines or social networks.
Hire ads on search engines like Google or social networks like Facebook or Instagram, and develop landing pages (landing pages) that take users who click on the ad directly to a page with a special offer.
Forgotten shopping cart.
If you create an online store, enable the function to send an email to registered users – or install a plugin to detect when a device that has already browsed your site returns – to remind them that they have pending products to buy.
Events and reservations.
With options such as a calendar of appointments and events, your clients can book reservations for daily services or special dates.
2. It is your showcase to sell products or services
Another reason to have a website is that you can change information in real time, without waiting for new printed materials to be ready.
This allows you to update the prices of articles, the characteristics of services, launch offers and process the orders of your customers wherever you are.
In addition, by having payment methods, shipping options and even gift wrapping, e-commerce websites allow users to make their purchases directly online and simplify the sales process for both parties (staff and customers).
3. A website for your business helps you generate leads (and makes it easier to retain customers)
By creating a website it is easier to approach your potential buyers with the products and services they require, anytime, anywhere.
Likewise, an optimized website makes the shopping experience much easier and more accessible. This favors you having recurring customers because they know that with you they will obtain the products/services that meet their needs, with the attention and quality that they like. Plus, it’s a surefire way to connect with prospects and grow your customer base since, as we said at the beginning, people go online when they have a problem.
And to stay afloat in difficult times –as happened in 2020 with the coronavirus–, your page can help you reach your audience and keep them up to date on product improvements or protocols to take care of the safety of employees, suppliers and customers.
4. It allows local businesses to compete with big brands
One misconception about websites is that they only serve companies with a national presence, or global corporations with audiences around the globe.
The reality is that having a website is particularly beneficial for small businesses as it is the best way to connect with people in your community.
Also, search engines often rank results based on location. In other words, if you search for “shoe store near me”, Google will not give you results in Europe (unless you live in Europe). Thus, it is clear that the importance of a website is to drive sales locally. For this reason, regardless of its size and scope, your company must be on the internet… now!
5. It helps you build credibility
The web pages for SMEs that best respond to the needs of their clients are better positioned in their activity or sector.
Also, you can optimize your website with search terms related to your industry, which will expose your business to more and more prospects on the web.
As you publish relevant information online for your customers, you build authority for your website and your domain, which helps your business to be found.
Conversely, not appearing in search engines is one of the fastest and most definitive ways to lose credibility, as it will make your company look dated and unreliable. And worst of all: you will be losing business opportunities.
6. You control your story online when having a website for your business
«Why are Facebook, YouTube and similar platforms not enough to start a business on the Internet?» is a question that you may be asking yourself when reading this article.
Building your online presence through social networks, although important, is not the most convenient. Especially since your business is going to be tied to the policies of these platforms.
This is especially delicate if a social network decides to restrict publication options, adjust positioning criteria (the famous «algorithm changes») or outright close your account, with which you could lose contact with your audience.
Instead, when you set up a business website, you control all of your company information, the tone of communication, and your brand story exactly how you want it to reach your target audience.
7. A website for your business is cheap (and very profitable)
Creating a website, maintaining it and growing it is easier and cheaper than ever. Even if you have no experience in programming languages or web design, there are drag and drop editors with which it is possible to build a professional looking website… in as fast as a couple of hours!
In addition, and regardless of its purpose, web pages for SMEs fulfill the functions of a seller, promoter, customer service… it is like a collaborator who does not need to rest and is on duty 24/7/365.