If you’re a business owner on the fence about creating a website, let’s save you some time—you need one.
Here’s why:
1. Consumer behaviour is constantly changing and adapting to the digital age.
Take for example the Yellow Pages. (If you are generation Z you probably don’t even know what this IS!)
The telephone was breakthrough technology in the late 1800’s and had a vital influence on how companies did business. As more households began to use the directory to find companies, local services and products, business owners realised advertising in it was a must if they want to stay current. By the 1930’s, advertising in the Yellow Pages was a standard operating procedure for all businesses across the globe.
Then out of nowhere came the world wide web and the road to digital transformation was opened up. Very quickly more and more consumers realised that they can make use of the internet rather than the Yellow pages to find needed services and products faster and less times consuming , a way better and efficient choice…and just like that the days of the printed telephone directory started dying a slow death.
Studies have shown that by 2011 more than 59% of consumers were already going online to find needed businesses and services in their area…Fast-forward to the current year 2020 and the number of consumers that go online to find businesses and services in their area has jumped to 97%!
Basically what this means is that if you want clients to ‘see’ your company – you need to be online, thus…you need a website.
Deloitte’s analysis in Connected Small Businesses in the United States [2017] found that digitally present businesses:
- Earned twice as much revenue per employee
- Experienced revenue growth over the previous year that was nearly four times as high
- Were almost three times as likely to be creating jobs over the previous year
- Had an average employment growth rate that was more than six times as high
- DID YOU KNOW 30 % OF people don’t even CONSIDER A BUSINESS if they don’t have A WEBSITE?
In a digital age like today your website is your nr1 asset. Just in South Africa studies have shown that the average person spends average 59 hours online per week! It is basically assumed and expected that a company MUST have an online presence and that you will think twice about using a company for a service if they do not have one.
- PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR YOUr business right now!
Recent studies how that there are 3.5 BILLION searches on Google per day. Let that sink in . 3.5 billion! That means at this moment someone is looking for a company and product such as yours…and if they cannot find yours, well, they will go to your competitors.
- THE MAJORITY OF people USE WEBSITES TO FIND AND ENGAGE WITH a company
60% of consumers state that they make use of a company’s website to find and engage with said business. Combine that with the fact that 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine—you do the maths.
- 75% OF CONSUMERS ADMIT TO MAKING assumptions ON A COMPANY’S CREDIBILITY BASED ON THE COMPANY’S WEBSITE DESIGN
Not having a website makes potential clients trust you less. A study conducted in 2018 showed that 75% of people admit to making assumptions on a company’s credibility based on their website design. Now, if we take into account that we all want to trust the company we do business with, and your website will either instil that trust or break it – well, still think you do not need a website?
Beware, though—having a bad website design won’t help you either.
You have 10 seconds to leave an impression on website visitors and tell them what they’ll get out of your website and company. After this time (and oftentimes before), they’ll leave.
- YOU NEED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS QUICKLY
People visit your website when they want to know something, buy something or do something. They expect immediate satisfaction, which means visitors should be able to answer 3 questions within 3 seconds of visiting on your website:
- Who are you?
- What do you do/offer?
- How do I contact you?
We live in an age of NOW, consumers want the information they seek immediately—this means your website should answer these questions without needing the visitor going on a hunt across your page to find these details. THEY. WILL. LEAVE.
- SOCIAL MEDIA REACH VS WEBSITE
Many think they don’t need a website because they are on Facebook.
Wonderful, so is every other business in THE WORLD.
You need a website regardless whether you have a Facebook page / social media presence. While social media can help your business grow, don’t rely on using it as your only marketing channel.
- “MY BUSINESS IS so SMALL, AND I DON’T really HAVE a BUDGET FOR A WEBSITE.”
This is the most common objection we hear from small business owners.
We said it before and we will say it again: your website is your #1 marketing asset. Saying you don’t have the budget for a website is basically like saying you don’t have the budget to pay your staff—you’re going to get in big trouble down the line if you don’t fork out that initial investment – it does NOT have to cost a fortune, but it is non negotiable that having one is crucial.
- “I’m already very busy. I DON’T NEED A WEBSITE.”
Excuses! Even if you have more business than you can handle, you still require a website, no ifs ands or buts. A website isn’t necessarily for the purpose of growing your customer base, but what if your current clients need to look up your location, directions getting to your business or hours of operation?
Perhaps you are you a restaurant? Did you ever think that your customers—now and future—would perhaps like to see weekly specials and menu items while they’re on the go? What if they’re in a hurry and want to order quickly and leave? What if they want to know your hours and can’t make a phone call?
A well-developed website will answer basic questions right away—which could free up your customer as well as your own time if you are spending hours of your day answering phone calls.
[Website hack: why not add a reservation/booking button on your website? There is SO MUCH a website can do to boost your brand’s name, and while you may have enough clients now, you never know what the future will bring. It’s best to get your foot in the door with going digital now.]
- The classic; “I know A GUY THAT SAID HE COULD MAKE ME A WEBSITE FOR FREE.
This is a bad idea. Final.
Having a cousin or acquaintance or even family member make your website is basically like trusting your cheap handyman to lay the foundations for a new office building. Your website HAS to be optimised, responsive, have a well thought out design and SE. If these are not in place, just like the handy man’s building…it will likely fall apart very quickly.
Even if you DO have a professional web designer as a friend, just be careful—different industries have different website design standards.
Let’s take for example a website for health services. It will have a complete different feel , vibe and components than a website for a clothing company.
- “OUR CUSTOMERS AREN’T really BIG COMPUTER USERS.”
Your customers aren’t “computer users?” Excuse me? Do your customers have access to the internet? Do they have smart phones? Everyone is connected these days.
Smartphone = computer user.
- MY INDUSTRY DOESN’T have the NEED for a website.
This is a HUGE delusion many people have.
Just because you’re not an e-commerce provider (using your website as a shopping platform) does not mean you don’t need a website.
Customers still need to find you, learn about you and trust you because they have or they will spend money on your products or services.
- IS A WEBSITE EXPENSIVE?
A website can cost anywhere from free (DON’T!) to upwards of 100 grand.
For example, if you choose to DIY free platform , you’ll pay a very small monthly fee to ‘rent’ a place on their platform. On the other end of the spectrum is a complete custom website from a professional website design company tailored for your business needs.
If you’re a one-man start up, and you have zero budget, at least get a basic website that you can jazz up later when you have a better cash flow.
Here’s what goes into the cost of a website:
- Hosting – This is the company that provides/rent the space on the internet for your website.
- Domain name – This is shown as www.yourcompany.com, and is mostly a yearly payment.
- Design – Some designs are free, others cost money.
- Complexity of design – The more customised your website is, the more expensive it can be.
In conclusion: The Price of Having a Website Is Much Lower than the Price of Getting Left Behind
A recent study found that only 56% of small businesses say they have a website.
That should tell you two things if you do not have a website yet:
- 56% of businesses are doing better than yours
- You still have a chance to beat 44% of them if you get a website now.
Anyone who tells you your business doesn’t need a website is just plain wrong.
It does not cost a fortune to get started with a web presence, and quite frankly, you’d have to be crazy not to get one. If you need help, give us a shout—we have a wide range of website design packages for every budget, and we’d be happy to assist your companies’ needs.
C: Digital Solutions
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