Businesses of all sizes are having to work harder to stay relevant, demonstrate their trustworthiness, and reach their customer base. As everyone is trying to adapt, our team is analyzing consumer habits and helping businesses stay relevant and thrive during this time of rapid change.
As Covid-19 makes in-person interactions more difficult, we have created a list of how and why your business needs a website. If you are a business owner and don’t have a website yet, or if your site isn’t bringing you business, please take a moment to read the following.
1. Websites give your business credibility
Consumers are naturally wary about trying a business they haven’t tried yet. A website not only identifies your company as a “legitimate business,” it is a great first step for building trust.
More than ever, consumers are becoming increasingly skilled at researching products and services online; in fact, over 75% will make a decision about your credibility as a company based on your website.
Positive reviews make a significant impact on customer trust levels. On average, people read about 10 reviews before deciding whether or not to trust a company AND you can increase your sales by up to 270% by showing customer reviews.
2. Showcase your company, products, services and happy customers
By using high-quality images, you can show potential customers what they can expect from your business. Whether you are a restaurant with incredible food to display, an insurance agent specializing in Medicare or a business selling landscaping services, a website can make your business rise above the rest.
A website is also a great place to introduce people to your business, your team, and potentially how you contribute to your community. Share awards, testimonials, events, offer discounts, and much more.
3. Having a website gives you a competitive advantage
With more and more people working from home and/or facing restrictions when they go out, you need to be able to offer services that you didn’t necessarily need to survive before. Shipping, local delivery, curbside pick-up, appointment scheduling, etc. can all easily be offered on a website.
With a website, your business is always open and working for you. You may only be open from 9 to 5 daily, but your website is providing potential customers important information and selling you products and services 24/7 and 365 days a year. Over 90% of U.S. consumers use the Internet to research companies and products before making a purchase.
4. Harness the power of Google
Google is the most used search engine with a staggering 92.07% (statcounter) of all search engine activity. A well-designed and optimized website will drive traffic to your site through organic searches and save you advertising dollars.
It is important to note that in 2019, Google switched to something called “Mobile First Indexing.” What this means is that, your website should be optimized for use on mobile devices. They did this because more people are using mobile devices to search the Internet than ever before. Ensure that your selected web designer offers responsive designs, meaning that the content is optimized for mobile devices, desktops, and tablets.
Integrate Google Maps on your site, which will enable customers to easily find your business and get directions, if needed.
5. Easily track your site visitors demographics and behaviors
Know your visitors and their behaviors. Did you know that you can track every user on your site including where they came to your site from (browser, social media, advertisement, etc.) and which pages on your site they visit and for how long.
You can also gather demographic data about your visitors, such as gender, age, location, and much more.
It’s much easier to tailor your site and your marketing efforts when you know specifically who your audience is and how it behaves.
6. Grow your business, even in a difficult market
Businesses that are proactive and can adapt to changes in the market will be the ones that survive; some businesses are actually thriving in this new marketplace. Whether your business is only relevant to a small, local market or you can provide your products and services to customers globally, businesses must continuously plan for customer turnover and attract new customers.
46% of searches on the Internet are people looking for businesses near them, including people passing through -an area. How many times have you been traveling and needed to find a local business in an area you are unfamiliar with. Businesses with easily accessible and clean websites are almost always going to win that business.
7. Affordable marketing and advertising
Marketing and advertising are typically one of the largest expenses of most businesses. Digital marketing, through a custom website, let’s small businesses level the playing field by providing a higher return on investment (ROI) and offering business-owners more control over information about their offerings.
Websites do not need to cost a fortune and you don’t need by be a technical person to be successful on the Internet. Partnering with a good web design company, you can easily get an effective and affordable site that will serve you for years with minimal work.
8. Sorry, but a social media presence isn’t typically enough
Even if you have a social media page and are getting good traffic, you are still missing a large number of potential customers. Not everyone uses social media and unfortunately, your posts are often constrained by the platforms algorithms and design constraints. In order to increase their own bottom line, many social media sites, like Facebook, will not share business page posts without paid ads.
A website allows you to design a destination that gives customers a better feel for your business, your brand, and your products or services. Business websites are far more effective at converting shoppers to buyers.
9. Is you site still relevant in the current marketplace? Consider the following:
- Be sure to keep your homepage fresh and relevant
- Are your pages performing optimally? Most users will not wait more than 2 seconds for a page to load. Yeah, ONLY 2 seconds!
- Update your search engine marketing (SEO) tags, titles, and descriptions, as needed
- Do you have calls-to-action? Are you actively encouraging your customers to make a purchase or contact your company for additional information?
- Eliminate any outdated web content on your site
- Don’t be afraid to change things up – new branding, updated navigation, special offers
Conclusion
Just like you and your business, customers are trying to adapt to the changing commerce environment as well. And, like or not, somethings will not return to the way they were. More and more people will continue to work from home, consumers will continue to expect the convenience of having more things delivered, and you will need to adapt as well.
AMWebStrategies provides website design and development services, performance analysis and tuning, and web hosting services. We are a team of experienced professionals, designers, developers, business strategists, consultants, technologists, and researchers who are dedicated to helping your business stand out in a crowded marketplace, increase sales, and connect with your target audience. We’ll take care of everything technical, while you can sit back and manage your core business. Contact us for a FREE performance evaluation.
