Many small companies are very conservative when it comes to their budget due to need. They prefer to spend money on “need-to-haves” rather than “nice-to-haves.”
Many people consider purchasing a domain name and creating a website to be a luxury they cannot afford. So they may as well create a Facebook profile and call it a day.
In this post, we’ll explain why having a website isn’t a “nice-to-have,” but rather a necessary and inexpensive tool for any small business.
1. Take command of your business
As a small business owner, you are in charge of the majority of your company’s choices. If you have a physical storefront, you have complete control over its appearance and layout.
Why should your digital marketing and online presence be any different?
Facebook is a great tool for reaching out to a specific audience, but it has some serious drawbacks. It has a single design, no modification choices, and, most importantly, you do not control your Facebook profile. Basically, everything is great until it isn’t.
A website provides you with an online home that is all yours. It enables you to demonstrate your own brand and what sets you apart from the competitors.
It allows you to be in charge of how you interact with your consumers.
2. Be trustworthy
Any organization or company gains immediate credibility by having a professional website. You can successfully convey your distinctive brand and values to prospective consumers via a website, demonstrating that you are a genuine company.
This will entice people to buy your goods and spread the word about your company.
Many prospective consumers would doubt your company’s legitimacy if you don’t have a website. They won’t grasp your real identity – who you are and what you stand for – either.
They’ll simply think, “Oh, this business’s Facebook page looks exactly like every other business’s.” You won’t be credible, and you won’t stand out from the crowd.
Worse, your rivals who do have websites will be able to distinguish themselves from you.
3. Make yourself available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
You can interact with consumers and make sales 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a website.
To begin, your website should provide consumers with all of the information they need about your company, including contact information, product or service information, about me, and so on.
If you sell directly to customers, you may include e-commerce features into your website, such as payments, inventory management, shipping management, discount code tools, and more.
4. Provide further value
Websites are also an excellent way to increase the value of your brand. Create a comprehensive About page and/or maintain an active blog to do this.
An About page tells consumers who you are as a company, what you stand for, why you exist, and what your goal is. This is critical since many prospective consumers look at the About page before choosing whether or not to buy goods or services.
They need to know that your beliefs are similar to theirs and that you are trustworthy.
An active blog accomplishes the same goal as an About page, but goes one step further. Customers get more familiar with your brand as a recognized authority in the industry as a result of your blog.
In addition, a regularly maintained blog may help your site’s search engine optimization (SEO).
5. Identify yourself
Google has grown omnipresent on the internet in certain respects (or at least finding things on the internet). To the point that the verb “to google” has been added to the lexicon.
As a consequence, being included in Google’s search results has become essential. However, just having an online presence on social media is insufficient to be discovered.
The best method to rank on Google is to have a solid, professional website with relevant content.
6. Collect leads
Instead of depending only on a sales staff to create leads, turn your website become a lead generator! Customers that are interested in your goods or services will be able to contact you directly via your website.
Additionally, current consumers will be able to quickly tell their friends and family about you, resulting in increased sales. Consider the following scenario:
“Hey, Tamika, where did you get that dress?” I inquire. It’s adorable!”
“Oh, this new website – [ ].com!” exclaims the narrator.
Without an e-commerce website, Tamika would only be able to direct her friend to a Facebook page in this situation. And it’s possible that her buddy won’t be able to buy the outfit at that time.
What’s the final result? A squandered opportunity.
7. Go up against national brands
Websites are excellent tools for bringing local companies and consumers together. Because Google and other search engines prioritize results depending on the user’s location, this is the case.
If you search for “auto shop” in Springfield, MO, for example, you’ll get a list of car businesses in the area.
There are just a few things you need to do if you’re a local company to take advantage of local search. Create a Google “My Business” page and fill it up with your details.
Then, double-check that the address on your website and your Google My Business Page are same. That concludes our discussion.
8. Do all of this on a shoestring budget
We recognize that the cost of acquiring a domain is one of the major reasons why small companies do not do so. However, we believe that the expense is justified for reasons 1–7.
All of the advantages of having a decent website pay for the one-time purchase price. Websites, when utilized correctly, offer a good return on investment (ROI).
Furthermore, numerous choices have made websites less expensive than ever before. These are some of them:
- Instead of employing a web developer, you may use third-party website builders like Wix or Squarespace.
- Alternative TLDs, a ccTLD, or a domain hack are all available as alternatives to.com.
The most important takeaway
Getting a domain name and creating a professional website is a must in the digital era. It’s as necessary as a drive-thru window at a fast-food restaurant or a dressing room in a retail shop.
Basically, either do it or risk leaving money on the table (at best) and being forgotten (at worst). It’s a foregone conclusion.
Thanks to Rob Wilson at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.
