Introduction

I am surprised that many businesses do not have a website and their owners do not see the need or understand the value of having a website for their business. As a web developer, I understand the power that exists in a website to help a business grow and to stay relevant.  However, it is unfortunate that so many business owners do not think they need a website.

Your business needs a website regardless of how small or successful your business may be.  You need a website.  Using social media such as Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram is good, but ultimately it is the website that will make a big difference for your business for the reasons that I will reveal in this article.

Why should your business have a website?  In this article, I will share with you several reasons why your business should have a website.  A website can be a simple one-page landing page or a full-blown website with all the bells and whistles.  It’s up to you.  In any case, you should have a website and you don’t have to spend much money to get one.

Increases Exposure

Sometimes business owners tell me that they have a Facebook page.  Well, that’s nice, but not everyone is on Facebook, but they sure are on the internet surfing the web, googling this or that.  If you do not have a website, you are missing out on a lot of potential business because you depend on a single specific funnel or none.  Some will say that they thrive off of word of mouth, which is great.  However, how much business is being left on the table because countless others don’t know your company exists.

Having a website increases the exposure of your business by being accessible from a number of online resources such as directories your company may be listed on (e.g., Yelp, professional directories), search engines, and social media.  A website will create a space where your products and services are exposed to millions of potential customers.

Provides Safe Area For Consumers To Browse

A website provides a place where a visitor can learn all about your company without feeling the pressure as when he or she may call you on the phone.  They can read about the services you provide, examples of your work (e.g., images), testimonials, and contact information.  They can then search for reviews of your company if any, and they can safely, without pressure, use your contact form or “request a quote” form to request more information or a meeting.

A website for your company will make it safe for consumers who may be looking for your services to browse your offerings and possibly contact you for more information or to get started.  The people looking for your services may not have heard of your company and may not have encountered someone who has.  Therefore, your company will not appear on their radar per se, and they will contact your competitor with a website that allows visitors to safely examine their services and make that first contact.

People Expect a Business Website

When I am looking for a product or service, I often surf the web.  Recently, I was looking for a landscaper to mow my lawn and was surprised at how many do not have websites and do not see the value in having one.  I expected companies, even landscapers, to have a website where I could view their services and contact them.  Most people today also expect a business to have a website to safely browse the site, learn about the services provided, and learn more about the company and its staff.

This means that if you do not have a website, you are missing out on potential business because the people looking on the web for businesses and services will not find your company.  Therefore, it is very beneficial for your company to have a website because people expect it; without it, they may never know your company exists.

Provides Credibility or Social Proof

To many consumers, a website gives a company a level of credibility over those that do not have a website.  People may perceive a company to be shady because they didn’t take the time to create a website to show reviews, samples of work, information about the company, description of products and services, and most importantly, contact information.  Even if the company uses social media, such as Facebook, it should still have a website to which the social media accounts point to.  A consumer is much more likely to do a business that has a good website than one that does not.

Your Competitors Will Have a Website

More than likely, there will be several competitors who have a website and will win the business of those seeking the services that they provide…and that you provide.  However, since you didn’t have a website, that person may not have known your company existed or they just couldn’t get sufficient information about your products, services, or the company as a whole.

Just because a company is getting business through referrals or word-of-mouth doesn’t mean that they do not need several lead funnels into their business.  Basic marketing shows us that we should have more than one way for people to discover our businesses, i.e., multiple lead funnels.  They could be ads in newspapers, a search engine optimized website, Google Ads and the like, email marketing, mailers, and more.  Relying on one lead source is not a good idea because, at any time, things could change in the industry or with the competition that could cause that single lead source to dry up.  Then what?  At least with a website (and other marketing channels), you can adjust things to suit your needs as things change.

Always Available To Be Discovered

When you have a website, especially one that has been optimized for search engines, your business is always available to be discovered or found by people looking for your products or services 24×7.  There are no special promotions that you need to start.  Your website will always be available to provide information to potential customers or to make sales at any time of the day or night to anyone, anywhere.  Your business website is always available to expose your business to the public.

Another Means to Sell Your Products or Services

A website is like a store that is open 24×7 to sell your products or services.  No need to hire anyone to be up to take orders during any hour of the day or night.  Customers can come to your site and browse through your products or gather information about the services you provide. They can then place an order from your online store or begin the process of acquiring your services.  You could wake up the next morning or check your email later in the day and discover that you have new orders waiting for you with no extra effort on your part, just the fact that you have a website online.  In any case, a website’s increased exposure enables it to be another sales generator for your business.

Educate Customers About Your Brand

One of the great things about a website is that it is ideal for educating your potential customers about you and your brand.  You can provide that information is stages so that they can drill down as far as they want.  You can tell customers what your philosophy, goals, history, and more to help them feel comfortable with your business and make it more likely for them to purchase your products or services. In general, a website enables you to inform potential customers about your company and the products or services you provide.

Provides a Means to Collect Customer Data

One of the website’s greatest use is the ability to collect customer data.  A website may have a mailing list signup form where a customer could provide their name and email address to get regular newsletters, sales promotions, or whatever.  You could also host surveys on your website to get a feel for what people want with regards to the types of products and services you provide.  It is also a great way to interact with your customers.

You could use the customer data to leverage for sales promotions and the like.  This will enable you to stay relevant to your customers by staying in front of them so that they don’t forget about you and are more likely to think of your business when they are in the market for the products or services that you provide.

Common Objections For a Business Website

The following are some common objections from business owners over the years as to why they thought they didn’t need a website.  I understand that business owners spend a lot of time working in their respective businesses.  For example, a landscaper is probably spending a lot of time landscaping and has little time to spend on goal settings, business growth plans, etc.  However, it is still necessary that business owners be aware that things change and keeping your head in the sand, so to speak, could result in the loss of clients.

 I have a Social Media Page

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen business owners make is to think that they don’t need a website because they have a Facebook page or use another social media platform, e.g., Instagram. Doing that is very risky. Here’s why.

For one thing, you do not own any contacts you make on any social media. Any correspondence made on your Facebook business page, for example, could be lost if Facebook cancels your account, which they can do.

Business owners must realize they are using someone else’s platform when using social media. You could lose all exposure of your business if that platform determines that your page is violating a rule or the like. It may do so mistakenly, but that doesn’t matter. Your entire presence is lost if you lose your social media page.

Those things can’t happen with a website, even a simple, inexpensive one. You own all contacts captured on your website, i.e., opt-ins that populate a CRM system. Your content is always where you want it, whereas social media content tends to scroll out of sight.

I encourage small businesses to establish their own web presence and not rely 100% on social media platforms for their web presence.

I Don’t Understand What a Website Does

Anyone who does business today must be aware that the world wide web is an integral part of consumers’ purchasing habits and the marketing channels for businesses.  You’d have to be living in a cave not to know that.  Therefore, knowing that websites are becoming more prevalent as time goes by and that people are using the web increasingly should spark some interest in business owners to understand what is going on.  It isn’t necessary for the business owner to understand the technology, but he or she should consult a web developer or internet marketing firm to discover what a website can do for their business.

I Have Plenty of Business Without a Website

I’ve heard this one a lot and it does make sense.  If you have so much business without a website, why get one?  The problem is that these business owners fail to consider that things change in the industry.  Sure, you have acquired customers without a website, so did I many years ago.  However, things change, and a website allows you the opportunity to change too.  It’s not just the website, but the technology behind it such as search engine optimization, search engine marketing, sales funnels, etc.  You will always have a way to acquire leads by first having a website and then by changing things as the industry changes.

My Business is by Word-of-Mouth

This is another very common one and is related to the objection above.  Since word-of-mouth has proven to be successful in acquiring new clients, why do I need a website?  You are missing out on a lot of business by relying on one lead source.  A website provides multiple ways to get leads through various funnels (links from Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest, ads, etc.).  What happens when the word-of-mouth referrals don’t provide enough business at a given time?

A website will help acquire more customers and is also a very effective tool for interacting with the customers that you already have, promoting more word-of-mouth and repeat business.

Websites Are Expensive

There are many who believe that a website is expensive to create and maintain. This is not necessarily true.  Of course, if you want a website with an abundance of features, bells, and whistles, then yes, that website will require a lot to develop and subsequently cost more.  However, if you want a simple website that displays your goods and services, provide a way for visitors to contact you, and basic information about your company, then you will be pleased to know that such a website doesn’t cost a lot of money at all.

The actual cost to develop and maintain a website depends on the website itself.  The cost of a website is dependent on the features of the site, the components included in the website, the number of maintenance tasks required per month, the system components required (e.g., database, backups), and the regular monthly hosting fee.

A simple website will not cost as much to develop and maintain as a website with many bells and whistles.  Therefore, if your business requires only a simple website, then you do not need to spend a fortune to have one.  Reggie’s PC Resources will work with your budget to provide you with a very effective website for your business. We have template sites that are cheap, easy to set up, and provide the controlled web presence that your business needs.

Lack of Technical Knowledge

Some business owners site lack of technical knowledge as the reason they don’t have a website. Business owners do not need to be an expert or very knowledgeable about web technologies to have a website no more than you need to be a mechanic to own a car.

You can upgrade and add more features to a basic website later as your business grows. Reggie’s PC Resources can help with that process.

Conclusion

Your business should have a website.  People expect businesses to have a website.  People use websites to safely learn about businesses’ goods and services without feeling pressured by salespeople.  Websites are always available for consumers even after your normal business hours.  These and other reasons as presented in this article, is why your business should have a website.

Reggie’s PC Resources builds custom websites for businesses, entrepreneurs, and churches.  We will work with you and your budget to provide the most effective website for your organization.  Give us a call at 215-362-0967 now to get started.