The Importance of a Good Website for Small Businesses

The biggest thing small business owners need to remember is that your website is not just an extra thing you need to buy; it is the digital face of your business—the face most people will see before they visit your actual brick and mortar. So you’ll want to make a strong first impression. A good website establishes legitimacy, especially among younger demographics. In the past a person might not trust a company that doesn’t have a telephone number, now a person may be skeptical of a business that doesn’t have a website. If your website is outdated, a person may think that your business is not open, for example, and they may pick a company with a more attractive website that has been updated recently.

The first thing people do when they hear about your company is research you. In the past, people may have asked around to see if their acquaintances knew anything about your company. Now with the Internet, the research is much more extensive. People turn to your website as the first authority on what products and services you provide. This is the first step in the sales process. If they are unimpressed at this stage, you are already going to miss out on a potential sale. A possible client could think, “Oh this business exists, and I’m going to check them out online before I hire them.” This stage is especially important for clients who have never done business with you before. While your website and its status may not be that important to existing clients, if you are trying to acquire new clients it may be difficult for you to achieve that goal without having an up-to-date, well-designed website.

With the rise of DIY website builders, some business owners have questioned whether they should build their own website or hire a web developer. It can be difficult for new business owners who have a lot on their plate to decide how much time and money they are willing to invest in their online presence.

What a lot of business owners don’t consider when building a website is that, if developed properly, a website isn’t just lost capital like many other business purchases. Your website is your digital employee. It can work for you and help bring in money, just as a regular employee would. You wouldn’t hire a bad employee, so you don’t want to create a bad website. If your employees are badly dressed it will undermine the professionalism of your company. Similarly, if your website is out-of-date that can also undermine the professionalism of your company.

Another way that your website acts as a digital employee is it keeps your customers informed about things going on with your business. Your website is a great resource to promote sales and other promotions you may be having. Just as you constantly want your employees to stay up-to-date on all the goings on of your Your website can be used to interact with your customers, as they would interact with one of your regular business, you will want to keep your website updated about these things, as well. employees. Since small businesses can’t afford to have as many employees as a larger company, a website is even more crucial to stay in contact with your customers.