9 Reasons Why Your Business NEEDS a Professional Website
A lot of new starters, as well as small businessmen, think that they don’t need to have a website as they were doing well in social media. Many of them think that they can’t afford a professional website so they build a freebie website sometimes. On the other hand, many of them don’t feel comfortable with using technologies like computer and think that their customers don’t use them also. So, they don’t feel the urgency of a professional website or any website at all and only rely on word of mouth for their established business.
But, even if one runs his business for several decades or do well in social media, needs a professionally developed business website unless he doesn’t want to grow his business or he is about to retire from the field.
Here are 9 compelling reasons why your business NEEDS a professional website
YOUR BUSINESS WILL GAIN CREDIBILITY
The number of people who relies on the internet for searching for their desired goods is increasing. They are not only buying them online but also depends on online for comparing the prices or gathering more information about a business store before purchasing from it. So, having a website will provide the information customers are looking for and make a store more reliable even if it doesn’t have any physical existence and also make the store more trustworthy than any other competitor.
On the other hand, a lot of people, who depend on “freebie” D.I.Y. websites, design the free websites by themselves and think that there is no need to pay for a professional website. Sometimes, a “freebie” website is better than no website and one should use professional “WordPress” theme for designing the website. But, a “freebie” website can’t build a professional image for the store as well as it can’t create enough credibility. Only a planned and responsive website which keeps customers’ needs in mind, carefully designed by the professional designers, will attract the potential customers and gives them the best experience.
IT SAVES YOU MONEY IN THE LONG TERM
Though it may seem that a newcomer or a small businessman can’t afford a professional website, it is way more cost-effective in comparison with the cost of traditional means of advertising like newspaper ads or television commercials and a website is worth the initial investment once it starts to run. One can save the money for updating it time to time if it is designed with a “WordPress” theme which provides an easy process of using and changing the content. Even if one can’t control the website for himself, the costing of maintaining a website is also lower than the regular advertising. On the other hand, designing a self-designed “freebie” website will cost one’s time and effort which could be used elsewhere in his business. Moreover, if a website can’t be found in Google search because of not being professional, one will lose his customers which will also cost him dearly.
CUSTOMERS CAN BE KEPT INFORMED
A website is a more effective way of introducing the customers about the new products and services, announcing upcoming events and special promotions than the printed catalogues. A website may also become much more than an online brochure by providing current and updated information and news about the business more easily and quickly than the print ads, newspaper articles and flyers as the information provided in a website can be updated or fixed very easily and shortly. The integration with social media also provides the opportunity of sharing the information on a website in numerous other channels and covering a wider range of audience.
A WEBSITE IS ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE
A website can be virtually visible and accessible always when a physical store is opened for a limited time and provides services even after the closing of the store. With so many interactive features and add-ons available, customers can contact the owner at any time and even they can purchase directly from the closed store though the website. This saves a lot of time and effort of both the buyer and seller in today’s busy life.
A WEBSITE ENABLES YOU TO TARGET A WIDER AUDIENCE
A website can provide an alternative location for selling goods as well as attracting customers from the global market as anyone with an internet connection can access a website from anywhere in the world and buy a product without visiting the physical store. With the help of technology, we can communicate easily with other people and do our business with anyone from anywhere at any time through an eCommerce website by attracting a wider range of audience.
IT PROVIDES A MEDIUM TO SHOWCASE YOUR WORK
A website can be used as a showcase of someone’s work or demonstrate his skills though his portfolio, image gallery or videos including a testimonial from the customers and thus it can prove what makes the company or the person unique. Tough social media like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest provides the opportunity of sharing one’s work, the quality of the pictures or graphics may be reduced and sometime one can’t control the audience of his work or can’t control the interaction process in the social media. Even sometimes the person who uploads something on social media can’t have the right of the work anymore and the company could sell them to the third party for advertising. On the other hand, a website does not reduce the quality of any work and reserves the right only for the owner.
A WEBSITE SAVES YOU TIME
Time is the most important thing in modern life as most of the people don’t have time to waste and sometimes time is also considered as money. A professionally designed website can save one’s time both in the short and long run as it provides various services towards the customers. By providing all the necessary information about any product one can save a great amount of time as it relieves him from any type of interpersonal communication like phone calls, messages, emails, face-to-face meetings, networking campaigns etc. as well as relieving him from giving the same message over and over again to different customers. On the other hand, making and distribution of different promotional materials for marketing campaigns also need a lot of time which can be reduced through a website by online marketing process like graphics, videos, flipbooks, detailed texts etc.
A WEBSITE CAN IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE
A website can provide the opportunity of giving value-added and extra services towards the customers to ensuring their return when they need any other product or service. Anyone can provide the necessary information to his customers according to the product or service he sells. He can also add a FAQ page or a resource section and can regularly update them to answer all the questions of his customers.
YOU OWN AND CONTROL YOUR WEBSITE
Though there are a lot of free or low-cost ways to gain a web presence like social media or “freebie” websites, it is saved to have a website and pay for the web-space one acquires. Social media can be used as a medium of attracting a large number of audience towards a website, but solely depending on social media can prevent several prospects of the business. One doesn’t reserve all the right what he posts through social media and can’t control what will happen with the contents. Social media and the “freebie” websites can limit the number of audiences who can view the contents and there is a risk of disappearing everything without any prior notifications. But, a website can provide an easy and safest way of backing up all the contents and one can completely control what will happen in his own paid online space.
It is very important to have an own paid online presence and it should be the determining point to consider whether anyone needs a professional website or not. If anyone isn’t still convinced to have a professional website by this article, he can try to consult with Codespuzzle.