Last editedNov 20212 min read
Having a website and an online presence is hugely important for small businesses. This is because potential customers rely on the internet more than any other resource when it comes to finding their desired products and services. This means that, as a small business without a website, you’re potentially missing out on a huge customer base.
If you’re still holding out on entering the online sphere, see if the following key reasons to create a website can't persuade you.
Find customers
Today more than ever before customers rely on the internet to find the products and services they’re looking for. With just a quick Google search, it’s possible to find a myriad of options for businesses offering precisely what the searcher is looking for.
Having a website will mean that potential customers can discover your goods and services far more easily, as well as learning other important information about your business, such as contact information, location and opening times.
However, it’s not just a question of having a website. It’s also important that your site has visibility. Google uses sophisticated algorithms to rank its search results, and the more informative and detailed content you provide on your website, the higher you will appear on search engine results.
Gain credibility
Social media is no doubt a great tool for reaching customers. However, if your business’s online presence is restricted to social networking platforms, you might inadvertently appear less credible to potential customers. Giving off a good and reputable image is very important as a small business, so create a website to ensure you come across as well as possible online.
Additionally, if you create a business website, you’ll also have the added benefit of having more control over platform, website design and appearance than you typically have on social media.
Attract more customers
Loyal customers are great, and essential to successful business. However, attracting new customers is equally as important.
While you may be well known in your locality, having a website allows you to attract customers on a much wider scale, which will help you to bring in new clientele. After all, it is the world wide web, which essentially means you have a whole world of potential customers at your fingertips.
Besides, your existing customers will also benefit from your new website, as they can far more easily access necessary information regarding your business.
Help your business grow
While small businesses are just that, small, you might have your eye on expansion and growth in the future. If this applies to you, then having a website should definitely be incorporated into your small business growth plan.
Face to face interactions are important, however a website allows you to access a customer base which extends beyond your locality, meaning your service area will expand. In short, with a website, you can reach a far greater number of customers and business expansion opportunities.
Become more competitive
As we’ve established, if you create a business website, then you can expect the number of customers you receive to increase. However, the reverse is also true. When you are not online and your competitors are, you risk losing a lot of clients to other businesses. When you create a website, you’re on equal footing with your competitors, and even have the capacity to exceed their reach.
How to create a small business website
If you’re convinced and are now ready to advance your small business growth plan and create a small business website, here is a brief of the steps you need to take.
First, you need to choose a website building platform in which to build your website. One of the most popular platforms for this is WordPress, although plenty of other options are also available.
Next, you need to choose your domain name which will establish your web address. If you are not using an all-in-one website builder (WordPress is not one), then you will need to find a hosting provider too. A popular pick for this is Bluehost.
Then, you can begin to form your website design, including the template and theme, and then proceed to create website content.
The final step is to optimise your content for search engines, using SEO (search engine optimisation).
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