Why you should have a website

You don’t have to have a physical or digital product which can be sold via the internet in order to justify having a website for your business.  It is an incredibly inexpensive way of promoting your business 24 hours a day, seven days a week – no matter how small your operation is. It’s always there – in full colour! Having a website effectively levels the playing field between the SME and larger business.

Here are some reasons to consider having a website for your business:

• It generates awareness of your company
  • Customers, prospects, potential employees and even investors can quickly find out more about your business and its products and services.Look at it as an online brochure.
    It’s where you tell them:
  • who you are
  • what you do
  • how you can help them solve their problems
  • your history and background
  • your location
  • where you can be contacted
  • your business mission and philosophy
• It helps overcome initial resistance to doing business with you
  Many people feel embarrassed to ask for a great deal of detail about your business and even its products or services. Having a website overcomes this problem, giving you the opportunity to provide information to help their decision-making process. You can provide information on products, specifications, prices, specials – the more information you provide, the easier it becomes for them to trust you and want to do business with you. Let it be your showroom with photographs of your products.
• It enhances your credibility within your industry
  A professional website gives your business a successful look – and it looks great when you add your web address to your adverts and business stationery. You get your name out there for a very low investment. It can enhance your credibility within your industry.
• It lets you reaffirm relationships with your clients
  Existing clients can use your website to gather information on new products or special offers – as well as useful information on the products they already purchased from you. It helps to establish yourself as their trusted adviser.
• It saves time by answering questions
  An experienced business person knows what kind of questions are usually asked by prospects, or what reservations there might be. By having a section on your site which deals with these can help pave the way for a sale when the prospect eventually visits your physical store. It’s a great timesaver. It also works well as a method of reinforcing a sales pitch. Not everyone will remember all the features and benefits which were explained to them.
• It takes you global
  Even if you do not sell globally, it lets you talk to people who might be interested in your business if they are ever in your area of operation. For example, people who are on vacation from other parts of the country/globe might need your services.

Other ways to use your website

• Get people – prospects and clients – to sign up for your newsletters. Use your knowledge to make frequent contact and build relationships.
• Test new products or services without having to invest in expensive advertising and printing. Use photos and accurate information to gain feedback from your existing client base.
• Get feedback from clients and prospects. You can provide a form for visitors to your website to provide feedback or ask additional questions. For a lot of people that’s easier than doing it face to face. Follow-up is essential, though.
• It enables you to expand your business beyond your immediate geographical area – if your business is structured to deal with this.
• It saves on printing and postage costs. Full colour costs no more than a single colour! And it’s easy and quick to make changes to a campaign, cutting down on marketing costs.
• You can even offer other people’s products on your website. By becoming an affiliate of theirs, you can make additional income  on the sales you make for them.  The products must obviously complement your own, for instance promoting books from Amazon which deal with subject matter relevant to what you sell.