Ok, guess we could be preaching to the converted here, a web hosting company newsletter, when it comes to talking about why we need to have a professional looking, credible web site in the modern world of business. But just in case any of you do ever stop and wonder why we go through all the effort to maintain our presence online or heaven forbid consider taking the cheap option and banging up something yourself, please read on.
1. All your competitors worth worrying about will already be online.
97% of online consumers use online media when researching their purchases. Just pop along to Google, type in your business niche and area if a local business and see who is waiting there to pick up any new enquiries. In this fiercely competitive market you cannot afford to hand such a massive advantage to your major competitors, can you?
2. Because they will Google it!
Every day more than one billion questions get answered on Google in 146 languages from 181 different countries. Having a website is the first step in getting exposure to this kind of mind-boggling numbers. Optimizing your site to get to the top of Google is the next step. Just like you would outsource adding a building extension to your local store, or employing a lawyer to look after drafting your legal contracts, you do the same with your web design and SEO and the ROI is usually the best you will get from any business investment.
3. Websites are promoting your company and brand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
They are out their flying the flag and pushing your message at all hours. Add an e-commerce side and you are now able to take orders in 24×7. You will not find a more cost-efficient way of expanding your sales or branding.
4. Websites establish your credibility.
It shows that you are a forward thinking progressive business very much in touch with modern technologies. Maybe just as important would be what not having a website would say about your business! Can you really imagine doing business with a company that you could not find online?
5. Your professionally designed website will boost your sales.
The Small Business Administration in USA, tell us that businesses that have websites on average have an extra $1.07 m more per year in revenue than those not online. Now that’s an increase of just under 40%, not bad at all!
6. With an online presence you can reach so many more people.
247 million people are online in the US alone, worldwide that figures rises to over 360 million. Have your site designed to get your message over and optimized to get right in front of that massive audience, and you are gonna be way ahead of anyone dumb enough to decide not to get a decent site up and running.
7. Websites level the playing field.
It’s pretty hard to compete with the big boys in the real world, I mean what chance do you have of building your little village store up into a modern day Wallmart or Harrods? But on the internet you have few limits. If you have the commitment and foresight to use a professional web design service, you can rival anything the big multi nationals can put up without having to break the bank. It would take literally billions of dollars to rival them in the bricks and mortar world but in the virtual world there is no limit to what you can achieve for a few hundred dollars.
8. Your website builds a worldwide presence.
Offline you may be limited to local marketing due to prohibitive costs and logistics, but once you’ve taken it online the world is truly your oyster.
9. Your website will save you time and money.
Distributing information takes time and money in the real world (think print and postage), but online your website is a veritable fountain of promotional information. From multi-media presentations to downloadable pdf’s, to online catalogues to customer testimonials, your website is going to save you bundles and raise the standard of your presentation and delivery of vital information to your potential customers and clients.
