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5 Reasons why small businesses need a website

Fay Roe

COVID-19 has challenged businesses across the globe in a way that has not seen before. It’s pushed them to their very limits. Even the bigger businesses and organisations struggled to adapt. However, some of the smaller and homegrown businesses have positively flourished – adjusted, modified, and risen to the occasion.

How have they done it? They’ve upped their game – nurturing their digital presence and boosting their web marketing – and at the heart of every successful online marketing campaign is a website.

A website is a business essential. In today’s digitally driven economy, consumers don’t just want to see businesses online, they expect it. It gives you the opportunity to boost sales, increase profits and grow your business by taking your products and services directly to the very people who are looking for them.

1 – tell your brand’s story

Selling has changed massively over the years. Traditionally price was thought to be the greatest influencing factor in a sale, but there has been a shift in thinking about buying behaviours. It is now recognised that 95% of buying decisions are emotion led. Your website is the ideal place to tell your brand’s story to connect and develop the relationship consumers have with your brand – they want to know how your business’s mission, values and ethics align with theirs.

2 – showcase your products or services

Let’s cut to the chase: a business website is not a vanity project; it exists to make you money. The only way to make people want your products is to show them what you have or what you can do. A professionally designed, brand supporting website will enable visitors to easily navigate the website without having to jump through hoops to hit checkout or find the information they need.

3 – increase your business’s visibility and reach

Your website has the potential to be your greatest marketing asset. It’s the lynch pin to establishing a sustainable business – if used effectively. SEO is a powerful method to increase the number of opportunities to be seen by your target audience by climbing the ranking position of the search engine results pages. Greater visibility means more visitors. More visitors mean more sales.

4 – grow your business

Regardless of the industry you are in a website is central to unlocking the potential in your business. In 2018 Deloitte undertook a study called ‘Connected Small Businesses in the United States’, and the analysis found that the small businesses with advanced levels of digital engagement:

Doubled the revenue per employee.
Experienced nearly four times the amount of revenue growth than the previous year.
Three times as likely to employ a new member of staff.
Three times more likely to export.

5 – be open 24/7

The boom in ecommerce is fuelled by how convenient it is for consumers to buy products online minus the limits of opening times or geography. Whether someone buys from you at midnight or noon, a well-designed and content rich website gives all the relevant information a face-to-face customer asks so the online user-experience is as seamless as real-life.

So, rather than thinking about why your business needs a website, perhaps you should be asking why not!

Digital Presence specialises in helping small businesses achieve their full potential online. We build websites for varying industries and of different levels of complexity– from informational business pages to e-commerce solutions. Our web design services Christchurch team create custom SEO and mobile friendly websites to help your business grow. Call us today or drop us a line to arrange a free no-obligation chat about how we can get your business online.