20 Reasons Why You Need A Website For Your Small Business in 2020

Introduction

Many people still believe that it isn’t necessary to have a website. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re living in a digital age where the majority of people search for business online. In this article, we go through 20 reasons why you need a website for your small business in 2020.

Online 24/7/365

Unlike a physical store, your website is accessible to existing and potential clients 24/7/365. This allows you to continue selling your products and services even while you’re sleeping or on holiday. Not only are you able to continue selling, but it is also a means for potential clients to get in touch with you via a contact form if your brick-and-mortar store is closed.

The majority of people look online for a business

With the advancement of technology, smartphones, and wireless internet, more people search for a business online today than they ever have before. So, if you don’t have a website, chances are you’ll be overlooked by potential customers and miss out on the income opportunity.

Adds credibility

Like a business card, a website adds a lot of credibility to the online world. And studies have shown that 63% of people will not consider dealing with a business without a website. That’s a large portion of the market you’re missing out on just because you don’t have a website.

Powerful sales tool

With the right message, content, and layout, your website can be an even more powerful sales tool than a salesperson might be. Objections can be overcome before a potential client even has them and questions can be answered before they’ve even been asked.  Pre-empting what a client might want to know, you’ll have full control over the sales process and direct potential clients exactly where you want them to go.

Educate your clients

A website allows you to educate your clients in any way you want. Whether it is with videos, articles, or even through your products/services pages, the possibilities are endless. You also have full control over the content of your website. So, if anything changes, it can be easily updated.

Improved local search

With the way search engines are constantly improving, it has become a lot easier to be found online when searching for places near you. So, when a potential client is out and about and looking for a certain store, they can easily find you through local search if you have a website that has been properly optimized for search engines.

Expand your target market

Another reason you need a website is to have access to a much larger portion of your target market. With print media you only have access to those potential clients you can physically reach; however, a website allows you to reach a national, or even international, audience.

Your competitors have websites

In this digital age, it is guaranteed that your competitors will have a website for their small businesses. And if you don’t have a website yet, your competitors will have access to a lot more clients which gives them the upper hand. With this in mind, it is in your best interests to get in on that action and grab yourself a slice of that pie.

Social Media isn’t enough

Many small business owners feel that having a social media presence (such as Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn) may be enough. This cannot be further from the truth. Social Media should work in conjunction with your website and be used to bolster your online presence. While you are able to communicate a lot quicker with clients via social media, it is very difficult for them to find the information they need from your social pages.

Showcase your products/services

Like a brochure or company profile, a website allows you to showcase your products and services in an easy-to-understand and eye-pleasing way. Unlike print media, you can update your products/services very quickly and without having to pay for a completely new design.

Cheaper than traditional advertising

The best thing about a website for your small business is that it is a once-off cost and it lasts for a very long time. Print media might get thrown away, business cards misplaced and radio/tv ads are extremely costly and not always guaranteed to be heard/seen. A website, however, is always accessible and cannot be thrown away.

Additional customer support tool

One of the major benefits of having a website is being able to utilize it as an additional tool for customer support. You’re able to provide online training and help guides in any form you want, such as videos, articles, or even brief FAQs. You can also have live chat on your website where clients can message you for quick support.

Improve productivity

Since all the information potential, or even existing client, is already available online via your website, you are able to reduce a lot of the time spent on calls with clients providing said information to them. And because the majority of people search online first, this will improve productivity as well as efficiency.

Better communication

A key reason to have a website for your small business is better communication. With a website, you are able to quickly update content so that users are aware of changes made to your business. An added bonus is the use of push notifications which are used to send quick info blasts to subscribers about an update you’ve recently made. The major benefit here is that you’re not limited to sending an email to your contact list but are able to communicate with people on a global scale.

Resource center for employees

A website doesn’t have to be limited to information for potential clients but can be used as a resource center for your employees as well. Since all the product/service information will be provided on the website, employees can use that information to enhance their knowledge. You can also have a private section for employees only, where news and policy updates can be posted.

Easy to update

Unlike print media, a website can be updated at any time and it can be done in small batches. And with the use of a CMS (Content management system), you can even do it yourself. It is a lot cheaper and less wasteful to update a website than it is to have a brochure redone after a product change.

Professional Email Address

Another key reason to have a website is having access to a personalized and professional domain name, which gives you access to professional email addresses. Many people refuse to deal with a company if they are using a free-to-use email platform, such as Gmail and having that professional email address also adds to your business’s credibility.

Grow your email list

The great thing about having a website is how easy it is to grow your email list. You can have a form on your website where users can easily subscribe to your email newsletters. Should you use a newsletter application such as MailChimp, you can also link that signup form to your website with ease.

Analyze your efforts with Google Analytics

Once you have a website up and running, you can review how well it is doing and continue to improve upon it by using Google Analytics. This isn’t something you can measure with print, radio, or tv advertising.

Eco-Friendly & Ever Lasting

Last, but not least, a website is eco-friendly. You can send the link to people without having to waste any paper on printed material. A website is also there forever. It doesn’t get thrown away or misplaced.

Conclusion

In conclusion, having a website for your small business is becoming a must in 2020. Without one, you’re missing out on a very large portion of the market and a social media presence isn’t enough to gain a potential client’s trust.

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