Why You Need a Website for your Small Business
You need a website for your business. It’s as simple as that.
We all have that neighbour or uncle who tells us we don’t need a website for our business. But, I’m sorry to say, he/she is wrong. You do need a website and it’s so much more than selling your products or services.
Whether you DIY it, buy a template or hire a designer/developer. You need to have a space of your own online. It’s easier than ever to set up a website these days so there really is no excuse to put it off any longer.
If you’re still on the fence or relying on social media, read on.
IT’s expected
Let’s think about that for a second. A potential customer expects us to have a website of our own. So, if they discover we are in fact website-less, we’re instantly giving ourselves a disservice. We’re disappointing our potential customers/clients at the first hurdle.
Now, if that’s not enough to persuade you to invest in a website for your business, read on.
It makes you legit
No matter what industry you are in, a website will make you appear more legit. Over 75% of consumers judge your business based on their website. By adding our best testimonials or qualifications in prominent places on our website, we’re able to show off our amazing credentials and build social trust with the visitor.
Reach a new audience
When you have a website you’re able to reach a new audience because you’ll appear in Google Search results. So when we add in a few key words, those people searching ‘wedding planner in Manchester’ will discover your website in Google.
If you don’t have a website, unfortunately you aren’t going to appear in search engine results. If you have a site, however, you can work on your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) for better results for your business.
You control the narrative
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to be seen and heard organically (for free) on social media. You’ve probably felt that for yourself if you’ve been on a platform for a year or so.
And then we have instances of Facebook or Instagram being ‘down’. Other tales of people who’s accounts have been hacked or blocked by Instagram itself. These are all wake up calls to the fact we don’t own our space on social media and our hard work building an audience can be torn away from us at any point.
With a website, we can control what the visitor sees and how they see it. You control what action you want your audience to make.
We can also encourage your audience to join a mailing list. From here we can directly market to them without fear of it all disappearing one day.
Your competitors have one
And if they don’t, chances are they’ve got one in the works.
If your competition has a website and you don’t, potential customers are so much more likely to buy into their services or purchase their products. You’re essentially handing over a reason why shoppers should buy from your competitors on a silver platter.
By creating a website you are able to stand out from competitors. You can highlight aspects of your business that you totally rock at to crush your competition and win new clients/customers.
Blogging can also help to establish you as a leader in your industry. And let me tell you, people want to buy from leaders.
It works when you don’t
You’ve shut your laptop for the day, put away the camera and put your feet up. And yet your website is still doing hard work for you.
I’d say 75% of my enquiries come through my website when I’m curled up on the sofa or tucking into a Thai meal with my friends. How blooming amazing is that?!
This means you can be selling products or services whilst you’re:
- On holiday, sipping cocktails
- Napping
- Shopping
- Watching the latest box set on Netflix
- Hanging out with your kids
It’s easy
You don’t need to know how to code or hire expensive developers to build a site for tens of thousands. No, you can DIY your site on the cheap, hire a friendly designer (hello 🙋♀️) or even purchase templates or courses to help you out.
If you’re interested in taking the first steps yourself then download my Squarespace Website Planning Workbook.
What do you think? I hope this encourages you to put ‘website’ right at the top of your to do list, it will definitely be worth it!
Don’t forget to download my free Squarespace Planning Workbook here.
