Why your small business needs to invest in a professional website

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We hear it all the time from small business owners…

Facebook, yeah we have that

Having a website is not within our budget

We already have a website and it does nothing for us

I don’t use a computer to look at this, why would our potential clients?

We don’t see the benefit of having a website

All of our business is from word of mouth

These are common misconceptions for small business owners, so unless you are not interested in growing you business, you NEED to have a website.

A professionally designed website is no longer a luxury item
Any business that wants to be competitive in this day and age needs a professionally designed website.  The internet has become the leading source for people to find information, and business research is the leading reason to perform a search on the web.  Small businesses that do not have a professionally designed website risk losing potential customers because a website is a direct reflection of your business.  If it does not seem professional and secure or worse, they will move on to another business.

The following 8 reasons will help you more fully understand why a professionally designed webiste is crucial to your business.

14 Be Found
90% of consumers use the internet to research a future purchase and 80% of consumers look online for local goods and services. 77% of US small businesses agree a website is a great way to find new customers.
14 Your Customers Expect It
Over 60% of consumers expect a business to provide online content about their business.
14 First Impressions Count
Most of the time your first impression a potential customer is via the internet.  What do you want that first impression to be?
14 Never Be Closed Again
Your website is working for you and your customers.  24 / 7 / 365
14 Keep up with the competition
72% of consumers go online to find educational material testimonials before they buy. If you are not staying competitive with your competition, you are giving shoppers a reason to buy from the other guys.
14 You control the narrative
It is true that you can’t control what other say about you, but you can influence public perception by creating your own story.
14 Showcase your goods and services
Your website can display your products and outline your services in detail with images, videos, instructions or downloads to give a hesitant customer no reason to purchase somewhere else.
14 Resources for your customers
It is much easier and cheaper to update the details of your goods and services on your website than in print material.  Including tips, project ideas, or how to information on your site increases the knowledge of your staff and customers.

Be Found -> Inform -> Engage -> Convert

The statistics show a website helps you convert more people into paying customers but simply having a website does not ensure you will get more customers.

First you need to be able to be found online.  Sure searching for your business name through Google brings up your website, but what if they don’t know you?  What are your potential customers searching for?  DesignBy2s will help define these keywords and build out a site that is optimized for your potential customers to find your website.

Next (sort of) you need to inform your visitors.  This goes hand in hand with being found by providing high quality information about the questions they are asking.  There are obvious items that can be included on your site like your location, phone number, hours, etc., but we also want to address the other questions they may be asking.  A great place to start is with your staff.  What are the top 10 questions they get asked?  How do I _______?  What should I use for __________?  This is a great place to start.

Create a connection with your visitor.  Visitor engagement is where the visual look and feel of the site comes into play.  Does your site look professional and reflect your small business?  Does it instill trust?  Does it have any errors?  Visual design and site functionality builds trust and engagement with your site.

Each of these 3 metrics won’t perform well without the others.  Sure you may have a site that can be found on the web, but if it doesn’t provide the right information does it really help?  If you site is a beautiful master piece but can’t be found, what good is it?

DesignBy2s is in business to help you grow your business.  We understand the small businesses because we are one too.