In today’s economic climate any small business owner wanting to grow their brand and create awareness needs to have a website.

Small business websites not only sell goods and services but also are a tool for providing value to existing and potential customers.

Not convinced? Here are 10 reason every business should have their own website.

1. Customers expect it.

81% of customers research companies online prior to making a transaction. These customers expect your business to have a website, and more than half head straight to the brand’s website for information as their first step.

If you don’t have a website they will look elsewhere.

This one is so important that it could be the whole list all by itself.

2. The power of the review.

90% of consumers claim their purchase decisions were influenced by online reviews.

While you could rely entirely on Yelp or other review sites to provide online reviews for your brand, but you accomplish more with reviews on your own site.

Since potential buyers are already looking for you online, including customer testimonials on your site is a great way to impress potential buyers.

3. You control the narrative.

Although you have no control what others post on social media about your business, you can affect public perception when you share your own story through your website.

Use of a blog for your business allows you to get your message to your target quicker, and more effectively than ads and printed material.

You can also include social sharing icons for all of the popular social media channels which makes sharing your content easy for your visitors.

4. Better ROI.

The cost of creating a website and the long-term impact it has a much greater Return On Investment than any other method of delivering your marketing message.

5. Getting a website is not hard.

There are a lot of affordable approaches to getting your website started. If you need any specific advice we can help.

6. Your competitors all have websites.

This should be pretty self-explanatory. Your competition all have business websites.

Studies show that once a consumer identifies a need or want, they start researching, and 72 percent go online to find educational material, reviews, and testimonials, according to a recent report.

When your customers begin their search for the products or services you offer and there is no website to support your brand, that gives them reason to go with your competitor.

7. Always available.

Your customers, or potential customers, may want to shop for your products, or have a question that your business could address, at any hour of the day or night. With your own business website you can offer an ecommerce store or a resource to answer customer questions that can be accessed 24/7.

Additionally, having an online presence allows you to service customers beyond your immediate geographic area. This means a huge boost in sales and improved customer service.

When properly integrated with marketing efforts (email marketing) you can quickly reach new customers and generate more repeat business.

8. Google search results.

As pointed out before, 81% of customers perform online research before making a transaction decision.

Unless they know which company they are interested in, customers will start with a search engine (usually Google) and type in what they are looking for.

Without a website, your business will not come up in the search results. However, with a website that has been optimized for search engines, you can come up and have more visibility.

9. A resource center for your staff.

Beyond attracting and retaining customers, your website can also provide valuable resources to your existing staff.

Stand alone (Orphan) pages, outside the website’s navigation, can be established as internal resource centers to provide things like training materials, self-service videos, internal forms, printable materials, and much more.

10. Showcase your products and services.

There is no better way to highlight the products or services you offer that with the in-depth detail you can bring with your website. You can present precise descriptions, video tutorials, images, presentations and downloadable resources all in one place.

Need help setting up a website for your business?

If you haven’t created a website for your business, you can contact us for assistance. We can get you started with hosting options and web design and development solutions that fit your specific needs. Even if we don’t do business together, we want to help you succeed.