13 reasons to have a business website in 2019

The world has taken a shift in the way consumers are buying products and services, you may have noticed our beloved stores like Toys ‘R’ Us, Maplin and many others that we once loved when we were younger are now just a distant memory in the back of our minds.

The truth is, pretty much everyone you speak to in our day and age know how to use the internet, and with the internet in mind and ‘asking Google’ everything seems to be just so so easy to do. In other words it is just ‘Convenience’.

Everything we do now revolves around convenience. We are all living busy lives, why make it harder for ourselves and walk down the street or drive to our local shops 3 miles away when we could just order it from our sofa and get next day delivery?

That being said, a bit of exercise never really hurts to visit a store a browse for an hour or so before deciding to make a purchase.

Right now there has been a huge uplift in the last few years in Online sales V Offline sales according to Financial Times, this alone is a very good wake up call for offline sellers or service providers to showcase their business with a good website.

Having a Business website design now is great time, lets face it, you haven’t missed the boat ‘yet’ but you should take it really seriously if you haven’t yet started thinking about getting online.

Here are 13 TOP Reasons why you as a business should have a website.

1. Credibility
Credibility alone is one of the reasons to have a business website. Having a website makes you look more serious about your business and of course more professional! When you start pointing out your url to potential clients, staff, partners at your website and showcasing your products, testimonials and work it for sure makes you look credible to them.

2. Competition
It’s without a doubt your competition already have a website, again just Google your competition, I bet you will see loads of your competition online already and I bet they are scooping in leads and sales from customers who don’t even know your business exists! This isn’t the time to say, ‘oh why bother’ this is the perfect time ‘to bother’, and join, take part, then take over! Check out how much traffic your competition is receiving and where from per month by using Similarweb

3. Interest
People browsing Google for your product or service ‘already are interested’ in taking action, so, if you website is clean, responsive, user friendly and ‘interesting’ they will take action. But, without a website they simply won’t, because you don’t exist!

4. Reach
With a website, you are no longer limited to geographic area of customers. Your place of business may be in Norfolk UK, but your reach to customers can be extended nationally and even internationally, so if you normally throw up a pop up store in the Middle of Norwich selling really nice goods face to face to a limited audience, why not do this online to an even bigger audience?

5. Visibility
The most convenient way to do this is searching for products or services online of course. If your website is not there, you may be seriously missing out. How will potential customers decide between you and your competitors? There are ways to even increase your visibility by using SEO strategies and digital marketing to make your website even more visible! You can talk to us about that.

6. Improves customer relations and perceptions
In today’s times customers expect an established business to have a professional website. Saying you don’t have one “yet” is not a good signal to send. Beyond that, a website can provide news or details about your business and special offers to its visitors, strengthening your name recognition and most of all your credibility. A website provides the unique opportunity to tell potential customers what you are about and why you deserve not only their trust and confidence, but their business.

7. Save money on materials
You can lower your printed material costs by making advertisements available on a website. This not only benefits you with reduced printing and mailing costs, but your website visitor as well, now having instant access to your material anytime they need it. That being said, promotional Merchandise is a great way and fun way to drive traffic to your website from offline channels. Networking, events and much more, using branded key rings, bottle openers, notepads and giveaway pens are things people like to receive, although we say you can save money on advertising costs you shouldn’t just cut it out, its important to continue advertising both online and offline.

8. To make pictures, sound and video files available
The web allows you to add sound, pictures and short video clips to your company’s info for potential customers . No brochure will do that for you. We are living in an ever increasing multi-media oriented world, so once you decide to go online make sure you start considering professional photos for your website, having professional commercial photography will certainly separate you from your competition.

9. To Answer Frequently Asked questions
How do I stop those annoying questions. Your website allows you to do that, by putting the frequently ask questions on your website, normally it is advised to put the FAQ on your contact page so you’re answering their question right before they contact you.

10. Testimonials
Having testimonials are a great way to showcase your happy customers, it gives credibility to you, your website and your business!

11. Cost
The cost of a website are in the short term may be more expensive than advertising in the newspaper or local ads, but will save you more in long term.

12. To keep your customers informed
To give your customer’s business information and other details about your business, remember, if you wasn’t online your customers wouldn’t know you so make it count.

13. 24 Hour service
Most customers search for a product or service after work or at home at their leisure when your shop or business is usually closed, but the internet is accessible 24-7, again this is just one of the reasons to have a business website because you can literally make money whilst you sleep.