You have a flourishing business and would like to expand more, reach out to new and potential clients and one of the many ways to effectively do this is through the Internet. With this, does your business need a website?
Yes, of course you do!
If you own a business and are having doubts about design and develop a website for your business, let me tell you straight – you need to have one. It should be designed by a professional, able to catch leads, boost your sales up and a site that’s brand-differentiating. Here are the reasons why:
Behavior Of Consumers Changes As It Adapts To Modern Technology
A good example is the old school method of finding information via the bulky Yellow Pages. Telephone was considered as new technology that was disruptive during the late 1800s, and it had a huge impact on businesses. As the number of households using the telephone directory to look for services and goods increases, business owners thought of advertising in the directory was a wise move.
In 1930s, it was considered as a standard operating procedure for most of the businesses to advertise in the yellow pages. This was a perfect idea since a huge number of households were using the directory every single day.
Then the Internet or the World Wide Web came and the digital transformation began. Many have seen the convenience and advantages in using the Internet; they can find almost everything that they are looking for. It’s faster and more efficient compared to a telephone directory, and the behavior of the consumers has directly shifted away from using the hardcopy.
In the year 2011, research showed that 70% of the consumers have never or rarely utilized a printed telephone directory. And in this same year, about 59% customers were already using the Internet to find what they are looking for in their local shops or businesses.
In 2019, research revealed that 97% of consumers already go online to look for their local businesses. And if you want your business to be seen by your potential market or be found online, you need to have your own website.
Why Does Your Business Need A Website?
The day you started your business in this digital era is also the day you needed a website. However, it’s not too late yet; you just have to make this adjustment to cope with in this fast-paced world. So in this article, we’ll be covering the following topics in two parts:
In part 1, you’ll learn:
- 8 viable reasons why it’s a must for a business to have a website
In part 2, you’ll know the following:
- Debunking the common objections
- The cost of building your own website
- Ways on how you can make a business website
The 8 Reasons Why Every Business Needs A Website
According to an analysis made by Deloitte, they found out that small businesses that are digitally advanced have:
- Earned up to twice as many sales for each of their employee
- Experienced growth in revenue about four times higher compared to the previous year
- Had an average growth rate in their employment that was more than six times higher
These results were not just specific to one type of industry, in fact; it was applicable to all kinds of companies and even the manufacturing and industrial were included.
Having a website is the beginning of your digital improvement. Let’s get to know the 8 reasons why you need to have a website that’s accessible and optimized.
1. About 30% Of Customers Prefer A Business With A Website
Digitally speaking, your website is your number one asset in marketing. Consumers today spend about 23.6 average hours on the web per week and use their mobile phones up to five hours each day. And because of this data, a lot of customers expect that companies can be seen online, including having a website.
2. Your Customers Are Looking For You In The Internet
The great thing about having a website is that wherever your clients are located, they can easily find you over the internet; that is if you have one. About 3.5 billion searches are being made each day, 97% of people are using the Internet to find a local shop near them, and 93% of the users begin their online experience using a search engine. While you’re reading this, someone might be looking for the same business offers that you have, and they don’t know that you exist because you don’t have a website.
3. Most Of The Customers Today Utilize Websites To Engage In A Business
According to a report from Local Search Association, 63% of customers mainly use the website of a company to discover and engage with the business. You’ve got a huge potential market in there. Also, according to other results of researches done by Yellow Pages and LSA, customers use up to three sources before they decide to buy.
4. Commercial Trades Are Influenced By Content In A Digital Website
A lot of businesses don’t have a website because they don’t see the need to have any online presence, and these companies usually come from industrial, B2B and manufacturing.
However, about 75% of B2B customers have said that content in a digital website has a huge impact on their buying decision, and about 62% can decide on purchasing based only on the digital content.
A B2B buyer today has to do about 12 online searches before they interact with a website, and data showed that it’s already 57% of their way to make a purchase before speaking with a sales person.
Now for manufacturing and industrial companies, 67% of buying action is influenced by digital content. And 50% of the B2B consumers said that a supplier’s site was a helpful network and more than a third said that a company’s website is the most helpful network.
5. 75% Of Customers Judge The Credibility Of A Company On Its Website Design
And now if you don’t have a website, you could lose your potential market’s trust right away. In the year 2018, 75% of users admit that they judge the credibility of a company on the design of their website. Why? Because the website contains your important information, and they will check that out. They will look at your reviews, credentials and awards if you have any.
And if your website design is unappealing, this could affect your business. You have about 10 seconds to convince a user that your site answers what they are asking and looking for. After that given time or even before it ends, they will leave especially if they don’t like what they see.
6. Basic Questions Should Be Answered Instantly
46% of buyers from the B2B industry will quickly leave the site if they don’t clearly see what the company is all about or what it provides. About 37% will also leave because they are unhappy with the design and navigation.
B2B customers visit a website because they need to know or do something. With this, they want to be gratified and that these questions should have been answered:
- What is the name of your company?
- What can you offer me?
- How can I reach or contact you directly?
Because of our modern times, customers today want prompt information. This means your website can answer each of the above-mentioned questions right away without having to look for your contact details at the very bottom part of your page.
7. It Will Help You Become More Competitive
Aside from becoming competitive with the biggest companies within your industry, you also have the chance to beat them, especially if your website is well-optimized for query.
8. Reaching Through Social Media Is Lessening
You might think that having a website is not necessary because you have a Facebook page, and that’s already enough for you; then you better think again.
Even if you already have a Facebook page, you still need to have your own site. It has been challenging for businesses today to connect with the users in the platform. There was a Facebook algorithm update and within just a week, the organic reach continued to decrease more. And in 2018, users spent 50 million lesser hours in social media than they did in the year 2017.
Social media can still help your business grow but don’t just depend on it as your marketing strategy, especially if you’re seeking to expand and improve your business. Remember, 88% of the consumers said they are less likely to visit your site for a second time if they had a bad experience during their first visit.
