Why do you need to have a website?
I’ve written on Start an Online Business that the sign of the time points us to going online. If there’s anything the pandemic taught us, it is that many businesses can be done online.
Again, why do you need to take your business online? Why do you need to build a website for yourself or have it created for you?
I’ve listed here 13 reasons which you can consider.
1. It gives you a place to showcase who you are, what you do, and what you’re passionate about.
Just like any business, you need to have a place which people can visit to see your products and know about your services. This place also becomes the venue for business transactions to happen.
2. It is your digital business card.
A long time ago, businesses usually printed call cards with their phone numbers, advertised in newspapers, and gave out flyers. They also made sure their businesses were in the Yellow Pages to let others know how to reach and contact them. Thus, people read newspapers and checked the Yellow Pages for products and services they needed.
Now, people no longer use the yellow pages and very few keep call cards. Instead, they search on the internet for most things they need. Then, they bookmark sites and keep phone numbers and contact information on their computers or cellphones.
3. It helps you to be found locally and internationally.
I heard from one radio station this line: “Your business is uniquely yours, but does the world know about it?” Indeed, you may have a very good idea, product, and service. Do not limit them to your small geographic location when you can take them online to let the world know about it.
You can certainly create a business page on FB. However, it can’t come as organized as you’d want it to be if you have a website.
4. It connects you to your customers.
A website can be your place to give updates, announcements, and other necessary information online to your customers. It also becomes the place where you allow your customers to ask questions, give feedback, air complaints, or give other responses. This sends an important message to your customers that want to build a caring and lasting relationship with them.
5. It helps you expand your market.
As a website helps you to be found locally and internationally, it consequently leads to an expansion of your market. You no longer will be limited to getting clients or customers from within your area or nearby places but you can also have customers from around the world. Who knows from where or whom you can get your biggest break?
6. It works for you 24/7.
With a physical office or shop, your office hours are limited to daytime and at most till midnight. In contrast, when your business is available online, it is open 24 hours a day even when you’re asleep or on holiday.
7. It gives you credibility.
Facebook is a good way to put your business visible online. However, without your website with a post of your popular clients’ testimonials and security certificates, your clients will have a double mind on your credibility. In short, your online visibility gives you credibility.
8. It makes you competitive.
Imagine your competitors are already online and you’re not yet. When your clients or potential clients search on Google, instead of finding you, they found your competitor and saw their products and pricing. You lose the competition.
9. It saves you money.
I’ve also written on Start an Online Business about Zara’s example.
It was a reality we have seen during the pandemic that many businesses had to close down especially those with physical shops and offices. With no customers coming in, it became unwise to continue paying employees and maintain the shops and offices. Many of those that were able to survive or keep their businesses afloat were those that have an online presence or doing e-commerce.
The pandemic also made us realize that some businesses can survive as home-based and only through online communication and exposure. With an online presence, perhaps many businesses may find that the business can continue without an office or with only a small space and a few staff to maintain operations.
10. It helps save the environment.
When having your business online makes it possible for your employees to work at home, then you are helping reduce transportation costs. With fewer vehicles on the road, air and noise pollution will also be reduced.
11. It helps with information exchange.
Cambridge dictionary defines information exchange as “the act of people, companies, and organizations passing information from one to another, especially electronically, or a system that allows them to do this.”
As I’ve mentioned above, you can create a business page on FB, but the information you upload can’t come as organized as you’d want it to be when you have a website.
12. It can help you gather insights from different software.
Many software that gives insights and analytics are only available online and for websites and pages only. One good example is Facebook Analytics which you can use when you have an FB page. Likewise, Google Analytics is available for websites that are of course published. These analytics can help you know how your campaigns and ads are performing.
13. It gives you more income opportunities.
Last but not the least, though your end goal is to promote your products and services, you may find that you can also by promoting other people’s businesses.
One example here is blogging. If you have a blog for your company, although you are not expected to blog about and promote your competitors,’ you are not limited to promoting only your own.
Chances are that you’d also be interested in promoting products and services from those which don’t belong to your competitors. This is through affiliate programs.
In conclusion, there are many reasons why you need a website. Even if you pick only a few as your reasons, those few will be enough to start one. I considered the first and the last reasons and they became enough for me to build this website.
What are yours?
Pingback: What makes a good website: three Important aspects - webdevworthy.com