Why All Businesses Should Have a Website

The heartbeat of your business is no longer confined within its physical walls. Digital innovations have made it possible for your products and services to be accessible to your customers, prospective partners, and curious onlookers around the clock, across the globe. 

This is exactly why you need a website for your business. Imagine the relief of freeing yourself from the constant switching of hats, the gratification of seeing your sales skyrocket, and the satisfaction of leaving a lasting impression on every visitor. 

A website is your digital handshake, the first “hello” that could blossom into a fruitful relationship with customers worldwide. It’s your all-in-one salesman, customer service representative, and brand ambassador. It’s the stage from which you can share your brand’s story. 

How a Website Can Help Your Business

1) You Don’t Get a Second Chance at a First Impression

Your website often serves as the first point of contact between your business and prospects. In the same way that a physical storefront’s appearance can influence potential customers’ perceptions, your website – be it the design, functionality, or content – can either attract or deter eyes that are just looking around.

Consider a local bakery in the Southern Highlands of Australia. If their website is beautifully designed, easy to navigate, and filled with mouth-watering images of their food, visitors are more likely to be enticed to visit in person or place an order. However, if the website doesn’t trigger the visitor’s cravings or their sweet tooth, chances are, they’ll opt to go elsewhere.

By making a strong first impression, you’ll increase your chances of turning casual browsers into loyal clients.

2) Reach Your Target Markets

If you’re wondering why your competitors are on the front page of Google and you’re not, they’re probably leveraging search engine optimisation (SEO) best practices. Following SEO guidelines enables your website to boost its ranking in search results.

Local SEO narrows that focus to your geographical area. For example, the reach of a bar in Moss Vale is limited to walk-in customers and word-of-mouth referrals. But with a website optimised for local SEO, they can reach potential customers who are searching online for bars in their area (i.e., “bar in Southern Highlands,” “places to drink Moss Vale,” “pubs near Mittagong”).

By sprinkling location-specific keywords in your website’s content and metadata, you can signal to search engines that your business is relevant to people in your area. This can lead to higher rankings in local search results and more foot traffic to your physical location.

Having a business website allows you to take advantage of online directories and review sites, such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Trip Advisor. These platforms rely on business websites to provide accurate information and direct traffic. 

3) Provide Around the Clock Customer Support

While traditional brick-and-mortar businesses have set operating hours, a website is always accessible – allowing customers to find information, ask questions, or make purchases at their convenience.

The presence of effective customer support on your website can significantly boost your business reputation. It showcases your commitment to customer satisfaction, leading to increased trust, loyalty, and potentially positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Pro tip: There’s no lead generation strategy more powerful than word-of-mouth marketing.

4) Save Money, Time, and Yourself from Juggling More Hats

Running a business requires wearing many hats, especially for small business owners. You may find yourself playing the role of salesperson, accountant, marketer, and more. Having a website can help alleviate some of these roles. Please save yourself some sanity.

An SEO-friendly website can be your marketer a.k.a. lead generation machine since it should be optimised to reach a larger audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising methods.

A well-designed website can also act as your virtual salesperson, promoting your products or services 24/7. It can display product details, pricing, and reviews, allowing customers to make informed decisions without requiring your direct involvement. This frees up your time and resources to focus on other aspects of your business.

Be honest: How many times have you tried to find the prices of a service business, only to find it nowhere? So now you have to request a quote and wait for days until they reply.

Frustrating, I know.

5) Get Another Creative Outlet

A website isn’t just a business tool – it can also serve as a creative outlet, offering a platform to showcase your passion, tell your story, and connect with customers on a more personal level. You’ll be able to express your personality in more ways than a brand logo.

For example, a family-owned restaurant could use their website to share the history of their business, their culinary inspirations, and personal anecdotes about their dishes. They could also post behind-the-scenes photos or videos, giving customers a glimpse into the daily operations of the restaurant. This personal touch can create a deeper connection with customers, and set the restaurant apart from its competitors.

A Website Build Might Seem Expensive at First, but the ROI Is Impressive

The upfront cost of building a website can be quite steep for small business owners, considering all the factors that go into maintaining online success (e.g., design, development, hosting, copywriting, SEO marketing, maintenance). However, when we consider the numerous benefits and the potential return on investment (ROI), the expense is not only justifiable, it’s also a strategic business move.

How a website can help your business is less about quick wins and more about long-term benefits. Unlike a one-off marketing campaign, a website continues to promote your business, attract customers, and generate sales over time. Over several years, the ROI of a website build can far exceed its initial cost.

How do we know? Well, we’ve been in the website design business for decades. There’s a reason why we’re still here – and we sure hope it’s because we know what we’re doing. 

Don’t Just Exist in the Digital World, Thrive in It

The absence of a website for your business is akin to turning off the lights while your competitors shine. This could mean missed first impressions, lost sales, and the ticking clock of unattended customer queries.

At Manifest Website Design, we understand your struggles, which is why we have website design packages that fit the budget of small business owners. We’ll build you a platform that serves your customers round the clock, extends your reach, saves you resources, and boosts your sales. Let’s light up your online presence today.