14 March 2021
Web Design
In 2021, one in four small businesses in Australia still don’t have a business website and rely solely on face to face business transactions.
What many small businesses don’t realise is being offline doesn’t just impede sales and profits, a lack of digital presence also impacts credibility. By building a responsive and informative website, small businesses can boost the signal on their brand, let the world know what they are really about, and meet consumer needs.
If the past 18 months have taught us anything, it is that the future is digital. There has been a natural increase in the number of online sales, but the web can do so much more than just facilitate online transactions.
Here are just 6 of the reasons why your small businesses would benefit from a website:
1. Expand Your Customer Base
To fully appreciate the necessity of websites for small businesses, you will first have to consider the customer’s journey. When a potential customer first identifies their need for a product or service, their first port of call is to take to a search engine to see who can fulfil their needs.
Small businesses may face tough competition on search engines such as Google, but by utilising local SEO and keeping Google My Business listings up to date, you increase the odds of a potential customer finding you, exponentially.
It is no longer the case that customers will head to the city street blindly in search of stores or businesses that can meet their needs. Customers expect information to be at their fingertips, with a website, it can be!
2. Make an Impression Before Your Competition Does
The chances are your competitors are already online, showcasing their services and products in a way that appeals to their target audience. With a professionally designed website, you could prove that your business would be more suited to their needs; your USP could be exactly what they are looking for.
A business website can expand the reach of your business far beyond word of mouth referrals and the people who happen to walk past your business on the street. Whatever the nature of your business, for it to thrive, it must embrace the digital revolution which can introduce your business to an international market or other local customers who would never have found your services otherwise.
Google’s SEO algorithms can be complex, to put it simply, content is key. The more visitors that visit your website and find the content helpful, the higher your website will rank.
3. Showcase Your Goods and Services
Websites can answer customer queries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are also highly effective at letting potential customers exactly what they will get from your goods and services.
For example, if someone is searching for a local restaurant to book a table at in the morning, they can head to your website, browse the menu and book a table. If someone is looking for a car mechanic, they will browse the web to find reliable, trustworthy and affordable local businesses that can meet their needs. If someone is visiting the area and wondering which coffee shop to go into, a quick search on Google can show where the best baristas in town are. If someone is searching for a local accountant to help with their tax return, Google will provide them with the answers on the businesses that can best meet their needs.
4. Cost-Effective Promotion
If your marketing budget doesn’t stretch far, investing in a business website is one of the best high-impact marketing strategies for small businesses. The days where print, TV and billboard advertising reigned supreme are long gone.
Through websites, business owners can find potential clients who share the value of your company – never underestimate how much research clients and customers like to do before choosing which company they would like to spend their money with. Furthermore, websites build credibility for companies and establish consumer trust.
With an effective SEO friendly website, when customers are searching the web for services similar to yours, give them the chance to find you instead of your competitors.
5. Peace of Mind in the Face of Future Uncertainty
No one could have anticipated a global pandemic and lockdown, but now that we know it has the potential to happen again, small businesses should do their best to safeguard against the future. Plenty of small businesses adopted the adapt and survive ethos during lockdown, utilising the tools that the web can offer.
Through websites, small businesses can keep customers updated on opening hours, offer in-store pickups, facilitate online orders and provide more information on goods and services.
Even if you aren’t ready to delve into the world of online shipping, you can get creative with your business model by offering roadside pickups or local deliveries. With so many more people shopping local, take advantage of the ethical consumer revolution.
6. Be an Alternative to Amazon
2020 may have been Amazon’s year, but in 2021, consumers are looking beyond the e-commerce behemoth for their consumer needs, and that trend is set to continue into the future. While customers love the ease and speed of Amazon, that doesn’t mean Mom-and-Pop stores need to resign themselves to operating from a physical location through fear of competition.
With increased awareness of how Amazon is damaging the economy with their dominance, more customers are looking for smaller businesses with more ethical business models and products to complete their transactions with. Make it easy for them to find you with a professionally designed website.
Ready for your business to join the digital age?
If you are ready for a business website but don’t know the best place to start, our Gold Coast-based web design company is here to uphold your businesses’ traditional values and make them visible to your target audience online. We can take care of every aspect of your web design, content, branding, and so much more with our affordable small business website design packages.
