12 reasons why your business should have a website

An effective website is essential for any business regardless of its size as it is the one place that can host all your product/service information and multimedia content in one place.  Here are 12 reasons why every business can benefit from having a website

1. You own your website

This is essential for your branding when you promote your website you are promoting your own business and not a 3^rd party website. You have no guarantees of whether or not that 3^rd party website will still be there or as relevant in the future. We have seen a number of social media websites come and go as a result of bad boardroom decisions. Your own website makes you immune to these issues and you have complete control of your website. The buck stops with you.

2. You control search engine results

You control how your business relates to search engines and what your potential customers will see when they search for your business, products or services. This power makes it easier for you to shorten the amount of time it would take a customer or potential customer to make a decision as to whether or not to buy from you.

3. It’s a long-term strategy

An effective way to leave an imprint on your customers is to drive traffic from your social media. Social media should be engaging people to click on the link to your actual website! It’s the only place that people can get a clear snapshot of what you do and encourage them to call you, buy your product/service and get a different vibe of what you are about. In the long run, they get accustomed to visiting your website and will spread the word for you as they will always know where to find you.

4. Higher Sales Conversion rate

Visitors to your website are more likely to buy from you than those that peruse your products/services on social media or 3^rd party websites. This is also because your website presents them with more information on your line of business and how you go about things and this is presented to them in a manner, they can follow through the information in a rational manner.

5. You control all the content as well as your brand

You have control over what goes where you have control of how your brand is presented to the marketplace. You can control what goes up and what goes down and when. You are truly the king of your castle.

6. You portray professionalism

Everyone can create a social media page, all your competitors have those, but what sets you apart is the effort you have made in creating your own website and making sure it is professionally designed and works immaculately. You are not limited by anyone or anything so you can totally spread your wings and fly.

Have a look at other businesses in your industry’s websites on the Internet and you’ll notice that you will quickly decide whether you like the company’s website in about ten seconds. The importance of making the company’s website easy on the eye and engaging to the user is essential.

This could mean that you have about ten seconds to keep people on your website before they click away, start doing something else and forget about you.

7. You have Flexibility

You can create polls and get information directly from your customers and potential customers. You can keep contact details for your customers so that you can reach them with information on your products and services at any time.

8. You have no fear of being deleted for being too “commercial”

Some 3^rd party websites will want to control your content so that it doesn’t conflict with their narrative. So, they may want to direct how you communicate with their audience.

9. You own the shopping cart

You don’t need to pay a commission to a 3^rd party so you get to keep all of your profits. You also don’t have challenges with withdrawing money from your account as all payments will go straight into your bank account.

10. You can sell space on your website

You can sell advertising space and sponsor pages for your customers and you have money coming directly to your pocket.

11. You build credibility

Because promotion is all about professionalism! Potential customers want to see if you are the real deal! Anyone can make a Facebook page, but the benefits of websites for businesses show the dedication behind the company.

This doesn’t mean social media platforms aren’t essential tools, but there are benefits of websites for companies where they can be represented concisely with a range of pictures, videos, news, and products or services all clearly labeled and easily navigated.

12. You are investing in yourself and not others

Websites are cheap real estate; you can get your website running for very little in comparison to what you would lose by not having a website.

The goal isn’t to live forever; the goal is to create something that will.”

Charles Palahnuik

These are some of the many reasons why every business that has a long-term vision should get a website so that they can better place themselves in the marketplace and leave their mark.