A website not only helps small businesses promote and sell their products and services, but it also allows them to distinguish themselves from their competitors, especially for customers who rely heavily on the Internet to learn everything about a company. This makes a website one of the most important business assets for sharing information, building credibility and standing out in crowded marketplaces.
Here's five reasons every business should have a website:
- Customers can find you - Today, customers are constantly searching on computers, tablets and smart phones. A website enables them to find your company and learn about your business and what it offers at anytime and anyplace. It’s like an online business card.
- Build your credibility - A brand presence for your business on social media is good but you’re restricted by the platform in terms of design, process and technology. A website can help small businesses increase flexibility, control, branding and credibility.
- Gain more customers - Reaching thousands of people using only traditional marketing methods like direct mail or print advertising can be very expensive and unreliable. Getting online enables you to reach more people locally or outside of your region while paying less for the exposure—and you can even measure the specific results.
- Grow your business – With a website, you can reach a greater number of potential customers and opportunities. If you plan to sell products online you can reach even more customers that might not be in your local area, therefore your sales would increase with a larger customers base.
- Gain competitive advantage - Consumers typically use the Internet for research before making a purchase. Consumers want to be informed about their purchasing decisions— what they buy and from whom they buy. Without a website, you risk losing customers to businesses already taking advantage of the online marketplace.
Once you have a website live, make sure you are actively updating the site with blog articles, services, awards, client list, etc. These updates will encourage search engine crawlers to scan your site for changes. If your site doesn't have crawlers visiting then you will start to see a significant drop in website rankings.
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