The main purpose of a website for your business should be to turn website visitors into customers, otherwise known as conversion. We live in a digital world where people no longer pick up the Yellow Pages to search for information on a business. Instead, they go to their computer or mobile device and perform a search on a search engine, like Google, to find what they are looking for. The customer is then tracked as they search through thousands upon thousands of results on their screen, choosing the right website to visit to eagerly find what they are looking for. Hopefully it is your website. And hopefully they purchase your product or service. But if you don’t have a website, you are missing out on potential business opportunities and immediate sales. Here is why a website isn’t a business expense but instead, a business investment and why you need a web presence.
The Bare Minimum of an Online Presence
According to the eCommerce Foundation, 88% of consumers will research product information before they make a purchase online or in the store. That research is happening on the Internet. It doesn’t matter if your business is a huge company with hundreds of employees and a storefront, or if you are a small one person gig operating out of your garage. A website is necessary for all businesses and should be tailored specifically to your business and your customer’s needs. If you don’t have a website, potential customers won’t be able to find your business, products and/or service and you won’t be taken seriously. It is as simple as that in today’s world. Unfortunately you could have the best product in all the land, but if people can’t find your website online, you just don’t seem legitimate.
At the bare minimum, a business should have a website and a social media presence online. It doesn’t have to be all of the social media networks. We suggest starting with Facebook because it is still the largest and most powerful network for most businesses, and Google My Business, because it has Google power, and going from there.
Your Website Sells for You
Let your website be the backbone of your online presence. It will be online 24/7, weekends, holidays and when you are sleeping and others are awake. When you are sharing information, whether it be a social media post or an email to your potential customers/current customers, you’ll just send them to your website (the backbone). With every advertisement piece that you create, send them to your website. Drive the consumer to your website and let your website do the selling.
If your business is one that sells a physical product, then an eCommerce website would be a great fit so that you can sell 24/7. If you are a service provider, then a website that describes your services, how a potential customer can benefit from them and how someone can contact you to obtain those services, that would be perfect.
No matter what you are selling, always have a way for customers to contact you and for them to provide you with their information. Just because they visit your website but don’t make a purchase today doesn’t mean they won’t return tomorrow after you send an email and buy something else!
A Website is a Great Marketing Tool
We’ve already mentioned that with a website, you can sell your products and services around-the-clock. You don’t have to be actively engaging with leads on a constant basis because they are able to get the information they need from your website. But your website itself can accomplish many marketing strategies to help your business grow even more. With a website, you can accomplish other low cost marketing possibilities like search engine optimization, search engine marketing and email marketing, just to name a few big ones. Your website is the perfect place to guide your email subscribers to when you want them to learn more about a product or even make a purchase.
Additionally, by researching something on the Internet before making a purchase, your potential clients are going to see reviews and ratings. Your website can serve as a platform to share the good reviews and fix the bad ones.
Get Help from the Website Experts
There are many websites that allow you to use their platforms to build a website, but most business owners will tell you that those were fine in the beginning. They will also likely tell you that after working with professionals, they now have a website built to their own business goals and it is much better! Go straight to the experts for website design help. From the ground up or somewhere in the middle, True Fit Marketing can help you out when it comes to ensuring your website is optimized for your business goals.
