Some time ago, I had a conversation with a business owner who was averse to the idea of getting a website. The excuse was that in Nigeria, one does not really need a website to ‘sell’ his/her products. I agreed with him, but only to an extent.
One does not need a website to sell. But to increase sales and expand your reach beyond your existing customers to gaining new clients, you definitely need a website.
A professional website is a step farther than just owning an online space. A professional website boasts great navigation and it is built strategically to prompt an action to be taken. In some cases, the action may be to buy, find out more about a business or call into the office.
A professional website, in most cases, is a sneak peek into what your business is about. I like to describe it as a summary of the benefits your business offers a potential client with the goal of inviting the clients to actively seek the whole story and in that way, achieving conversion.
So, why do you need a professional website for your business?
Credibility
Have you ever heard about a company and gone online to confirm its existence? The Internet is unconsciously treated as if it were a country of its own, such that we go online in search of information and trusting that what we see is really in existence offline.
A simple example is a job seeker visiting a company’s website before an interview to dig up some background information about the company or a potential client searching for a company’s office address online. Just discovering that a company indeed has a web presence unconsciously convinces us that a business does exist.
Having pointed that out, it is best to have a clean and professional looking website than to have something that does not add value to your business. If you want to make an impression at all, then it is best to make it a good and lasting one.
Local visibility
You may argue that your business is a small one, with most of your target market around the neighbourhood. But that is even the reason why you should own a website.
The reason is that it is easier for me to shop online for a product within my locality before visiting its brick and mortar store. And you would want your business website to come up on the first three pages in a search result to grab that customer’s attention.
Save money
How can a professional website save you money when you need to pay to get one up and running?
Let us consider the alternatives to owning a website – one of which is not owning a website and depending on below-the-line marketing tactics, such as distributing flyers and creating thousands of brochures that may end in the corner of someone’s table.
Another alternative is not doing anything at all!
Not having any marketing campaign running may seem like a wise decision. After all, you will not be compelled to spend a dime. But, in the long run, it may hurt your business as you may end up losing potential customers to a competitor who recognises the value of marketing.
Your professional website is a marketing tool, just as much as your office is. You want your customer to spend time getting to know you without any barriers to making a commitment. Therefore, a professional website helps you save money by acting as a marketing tool for your business.
Keep your customers informed
Rather than spending money and time on advertising or printing out monthly newsletters, consider going digital and creating a professional website that can also double as a newsletter for your existing customers.
A professional website can be as informative as you want it to be. Many businesses post blog articles to keep their customers informed, while others choose to distribute monthly newsletters to those on their email list. Whichever you decide on, ensure that your customers are able to navigate your website easily and search for information quickly and seamlessly.
Customer service
A value-add to any company is its customer service as customers are easily turned off by poor service delivery and follow up. For businesses with lots of traffic in particular, you want to ensure that all customers are satisfied and they have no reason to go on a Twitter war against your business. As you know, bad PR can hurt your sales.
A great alternative is empowering your professional website to handle a part of your customer service. Some great examples I often find on websites are the live chat option and short turn-around time on replies to inquiries.
In conclusion, a professional website is an asset to every business looking to grow in this digital age. With the right layout and content, your website will be a marketing tool which adds value to your business in the long run.
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