Introduction
It may sound strange, but there are still millions of businesses out there that do not have a website. Most of these businesses are small and medium ones, although you can also find a large business in some countries without any site or a digital presence.
Millions of mom and pop stores and other brick and mortar businesses seem to have been left behind in the digital revolution. Many owners and managers who run these businesses see no need for having a website. In this article, we will share with you ten reasons why modern businesses must have a site.
Table of contents
- People search online before buying a product or service
- Businesses with websites are considered more professional
- A website is a salesman working 24 hours for you
- Customers use your website to research your products and for contacting you
- Website content impact most purchase decisions
- Your competitors have one
- You can display testimonials or reviews left by past customers
- A website will allow you to streamline your marketing efforts
- You can target a broader audience with a website
- A website is a must for Local SEO
- Conclusions
1. People search online before buying a product or service
Nowadays, the sales process starts by simply searching online for a product or service that a person wants. The Internet has completely changed the experience of shopping, and this also applies to offline sales. A study conducted by Verisign a few years ago suggested that a whopping 93% of consumers use the internet for research before making a purchase.
The same study also reveals that 91% of users use the internet to look for local goods and services. These two figures are more than enough to explain the importance of online research in the sales process. You may be left out without a website, as most potential buyers would like to visit it before buying your products or services.
2. Businesses with websites are considered more professional
The same study mentions that a full 77% of consumers believe that a business with a website is more credible than another competitor without one. Other surveys and studies have also focused on the credibility of a business with a site as consumers consider businesses with websites more credible and professional.
3. A website is a salesman working 24 hours for you
Think about if you had a salesman available to sell your products or services 24/7, 365 days a year.
A website is essentially a salesman working 24 hours for you. A well-designed one with persuasive content can be the most significant sales generating tool that a business can have. And the best part is that unlike a salesperson, you don’t need to spend exorbitant sums on salary as, in most cases, developing a site is often a one-off cost that allows you to reap the rewards for several years.
Granted, managing your site and keeping it in good shape will need you to spend some amounts regularly, but this figure will be nowhere near the salary of hiring a salesperson, and no salesperson can be available 24/7 throughout the year to answer all the questions that a prospective customer may have.
4. Customers use your website to research your products and for contacting you
Most customers prefer to research a product or service directly from the company’s website. This is especially true of businesses in specific sectors such as merchandise, food, real estate, etc. These sectors often attract price-sensitive customers who want to do extensive research before buying something. In case you happen to be in any of these industries, then a lack of a business site can be a severe impediment to your success.
5. Website content impact most purchase decisions
Several studies like this one have shown the impact of website content on sales decisions. In the study mentioned above, conducted almost a decade ago, researchers found that the content affected nearly 97% of sales decisions, in one way or another.
As you can see in the above image, only 3% of users say that a website did not influence their ultimate decision to buy.
Despite all the changes in e-commerce over the last decade, this metric has remained almost unchanged. Even today, a vast majority of users make purchase decisions after analyzing the website content. So, if your business does not have a web page, then you are already behind your competition.
6. Your competitors have one
Gone are the days when only large companies or businesses used to have a website. Nowadays, you can find several local businesses around yourself that have well-designed websites showcasing their offerings to potential customers. By not having a web page, you are ceding your ground to competition and unwillingly sending prospective customers to other similar businesses.
7. You can display testimonials or reviews left by past customers
A website can be used in many ways, including showing testimonials or reviews left by past customers. Having a one for your business will allow you to showcase the best reviews to potential customers. You can easily display testimonials on a custom-designed page of your site that will reduce your dependence on Google or Facebook reviews.
8. A website will allow you to streamline your marketing efforts
A website is often the central hub in any marketing campaign. You cannot effectively use the power of email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, or SEO without one. Having a site will allow you to streamline your marketing efforts across different marketing channels, with it serving as the central node of your marketing machine.
9. You can target a broader audience with a website
In the pre-internet era, most small and medium businesses were restricted to their local area or a few surrounding cities. With the arrival of the internet, it became possible for small and medium businesses to target customers in a different state or country. A website will allow your business to target millions of potential customers instead of the few dozens or hundreds you can target in your local area.
10. A website is a must for Local SEO
Google search engine results pages have changed a lot over the years and now display local websites and businesses at the top of organic search results as in the below image:
If a customer is looking for specific local businesses, then he will be able to see firsthand if your business has a website or not, and Google also provides an option to directly click on the site link of local business from their SERP listings. You will be easily able to beat other local competitors if you have a business web page; otherwise, potential customers will go to another local business listing with a website.
Conclusions
This list is not comprehensive as there are several other equally good reasons for a business to have a website. Most small business owners have realized the power of the internet and are switching to online sales.
The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has again highlighted how businesses with websites beat those without a website. In the last few months, more and more customers have switched to buying online, and companies with a well-established digital presence have outperformed those without an online presence.
