Here are 12 reasons you need a website. That’s the title of today’s post, and it is meant to provide information as to why you or your business needs an online presence and as a web designer, these are some of the gems of advice I give out to potential clients. I’d love to hear some feedback about what other reasons there are so please do leave a comment.
1. People Are Looking for You
Forget Yellow Pages, no-one cares about that anymore. Google and Yahoo! are the first place most people will look for your company or service.
If they can’t find you, they’ll go to someone else who offers the same product or service.
Make sure people can find you.
2. You Are Losing Customers
These points are all related if you hadn’t guessed, and this one follows on from being found.
If people want to buy something from your shop but cannot get to your shop, the web is a brilliant shop front to open up business and let people browse your products and get more sales for your business.
3. People Want To Share
The reason websites like Flickr and Facebook are so popular is because people can share things with each other - things that mean things to them like photos.
It’s so easy to upload photos straight from your mobile or your camera, and then there’s the social element where you can tag the photos.
4. Get Feedback
Feedback, good or bad is good. There is no such thing as bad feedback unless you refuse to learn from it.
Giving your customers a place give feedback about how their sale went through is a huge moral dilemma for a lot of businesses but look at Amazon or e-Bay - these are a success because they allow users to review their products in an honest and real fashion.
5. Reach New Market
If you have a small lockup specialist shop round the back of a High St then chances are you rely on sales from your local people but what if you could reach a global market?
If you sell something like specialised paintings or even garden gnomes, there is always a market somewhere - look at e-bay for example!
6. Save Money
If you have your Frequently Asked Questions online, chances are you will reduce the amount of calls to customer services and therefore you don’t need extra staff to man the phones.
The same applies if your business can sell things online, you don’t need any additional cashiers to process the orders.
It’s all virtual, you’re basically letting people make their own minds up, pay for it before you even lift a finger or employ a staff member.
7. Special Offer
Special Offers are great. Everyone likes to think they are getting a bargain.
Using the website, you can manage your special offers, discounts and all things in between to drive sales or whatever your motivation is - traffic, advertising etc.
Take this blog for example, I started it to advertise my services but also to see what others thought about various web design and related subjects - and I learn loads from it as well!
8. Advertise
Selling something? Promoting something? Get a website, and it’s a place to go after people have seen your advert.
That frees you up to be creative with your adverts and concentrate on getting your messages across.
9. Showcase Yourself
If you are a model, a magician, a plumber or even a butcher then a website showcases something that you are good at. Why not showcase it?
Showcasing your skill or service is surprisingly easy to set up, and it gives you the edge to get business.
10. Spread the Word
Websites help you spread the word. If you are freelance writer, journalist or just someone with a voice then get yourself a website and spread the word.
These days a blog can be set up and be up and running in hours, all it needs is your content.
11. Share Your Thoughts
You can change the world with few lines, or so they say. The pen is mightier than the sword - now that one is a real saying.
The point is, if you have something to share with the world then set up a website. You can write about the things you love, upload videos or photos of the places you have seen - all sorts.
Who knows, you might find like minded individuals and meet a whole new bunch of people.
12. Earn More
If people find your site, it’s well designed and is easy to navigate then the quality of your products should sell themselves. You will in turn earn more money because people can buy even when you are not open.
Earn More - now there is one I think will grab peoples attention. it amazes me how few people realise they can sell things EASILY online, without the need for huge transaction accounts with the likes of Natwest etc
13. Your Competiion Has the Edge
I don’t know about you, but when I am looking for something specific I Google it, and if there is two companies and one has a website then my chances of buying from them increase 50% - if you don’t even have a website, you are not in the game.
@ Sunzanne - First of all great name, secondly I totally agree especially if it’s something like a pub or a club to go and visit, no site or a “preview” really reduces my chances of knowing about it.