So maybe you’ve decided to start a business or you have been operating for sometime, one question you will be asking yourself is, do I REALLY need a website and is it really worth it? the short answer is ‘yes you do’. However, a lot of business owners don’t understand the true value of a website and can see it as somewhat of a waste of money. So lets go through a few example:
In Google
Say you are looking for a plumber, or an accountant or a mechanic, where do most people start looking? Google. The first thing people do is get on their computer or smartphone and search a phase like “plumbers in sydney”, next they will start going through the results to compare and determine which one they want to do business with, during this process they have no idea that the businesses with no website even exists. So really your business is invisible to the general public.
Your Presence
Alright, maybe it doesn’t concern you that you don’t show up on google or other search engines, you are more than happy with the customers you are getting from your advertising. Maybe you send out flyers, post advertisements in the newspaper or maybe you even have radio or T.V ads. Chances are if your potential clients see or hear your ad they are only going to remember one thing, that is the name of your business, chances are they saw your flyer, but chucked it in the bin, heard your ad on the radio, but couldn’t remember your phone number, saw your newspaper ad but can’t find it again. All they remember is the name of your business, so what do they do? Jump on google to find your website so they can get your number and give you a call. After 30 seconds they realise they can’t find you online, so what do they do next, start looking for another business who can help them. All that money you spent on advertising waste spent in vein.
Online Advertising
Online advertising is one of the most cost effective forms of advertising available today, mediums such as Google Adwords and Facebook ads allow business to specifically target their intended audience. With traditional forms of advertising such as radio advertisements, billboards, signs and flyers you are paying to advertise to an extremely large audience, yet only a small portion of that audience will be interested in purchasing your product or service, which means you are wasting money. In addition to this, the people that view you advertisements through these mediums are not generally in ‘buying mode’, they are just going about their day-to-day life and not fully registering any advertisement they see. With Google adwords you can specifically target people who are actively looking for the goods or services that you provide. For example, if you are a Plumber and you operate in Newcastle, you can run an ad that displays only when people in Newcastle search keywords such as ‘Plumber Newcastle’, ‘Plumbers in Newcastle’, or even ‘how to fix a leaking toilet’. The significant difference with this style of advertising is the people whom make these searches are specifically looking for a Plumber or currently need a Plumber. The best part about this style of advertising is you only pay when someone clicks on the ad. So if no one clicks on the ad you don’t have to pay.
Informing Customers
Now days people have so much information readily available to them, customers like to do their research before they buy and with so many options, if they can’t find what they are looking for about your businesses then they will quickly move on. In marketing terms the absolute worst position for a business to be in is to be considered invisible, if your potential customers don’t know who you are or what you do, then there is absolutely no chance they will want to do business with you. A website is a great way to educate your potential customers about your products or services and demonstrate as to why you a better than your competitors. Also, it allows you to maintain a good reputation through reviews on Google and Facebook. Potential customers are far more inclined to do business with a company that has helpful resources, a variety of testimonials and good reviews as opposed to a business they can’t find any information about.
Summary
Today it is an absolute necessity to have a website for your business, it is a fundamental part of any company and can be a key competent in helping you grow your customer base and advertise to your customers. The opportunities are endless in the online world, hence why we have seen such an increase emphasis directed towards an exception online presence.
