Whether you’re in the service industry or selling a product, having a website as a small business owner is vital. Some small business owners feel that it’s not a necessity but having a website not only shows the customer that you mean business but it motivates the customer to move forward with business. Here are a few reasons having a website as a small business owner is important.
The first impression is everything
Google has become the way of life as it pertains to how people search for items and even services. With so many people shopping online, the first impression is everything when it comes to customers spending their hard earned money. Customers are constantly passing judgement on your business. Your business can easily be disgarded if the reflection of your website doesn’t match your businss.
No website = losing business
No small business owner wants to lose money, especially not continuously. You not having a website creates a loss in opportunities and a lack of identity amongst your consumers. Having a bad website is better than having no website at all but a bad website can make your business look bad. A strong and well polished website is important to have if you are looking to establish yourself amongst the competition. When building your website, the main elements to focus on are easy navigation, easy functionaility, strong images, professional quality content and engagement.
Accessible 24/7
Retail stores and service businesses have store hours. By having a website, your business is accessible to the public 24 hours a day. This means that if a perosn is searching for a product or service at 2 a.m., by having a website you are able to capture their business. This is what you want. The days of window shopping are over. A person now can search for what they need in less than five seconds through such search engines as Google, Bing and Yahoo. Making yourself visible worldwide opens you up to the likelihood of gaining more customers.
More Cost Effective
A website is more cost effective than the traditional brick and mortar establishment. As a small business owner, you want to make more money than you are putting out. Many entrepreneurs are openeing e-commerce stores at an alarming rate because of how cost effective it is. Low overhead will allow you to invest more money into your product and marketing.
