Did You Know?...
You're probably asking what all of this means for your business. It means that you're missing out on the 184.4 million people who are online looking for information and making purchases at some point during any given month.
It also presents an opportunity to get ahead of the small business owners (people who are doing what you're doing) who don't have a website or blog.
Maybe this describes your current situation. People have been telling you that your business needs a website. You know it’s true, but you feel that you're not technical enough to build a site. And you don't have the budget to hire a professional designer.
In addition to that, who has time to drop everything to throw a website together, especially when you need to... well, run your business?
5 Reasons Your Small Business Needs a Website
Here's some information that may surprise you.
According to Statistica, 40% of internet users in the United States stated that they purchased items online at several times per month, and 20 percent said they bought items or services online on a weekly basis.
Today, a big part of our lives — and shopping habits — have moved online.
Your Business Could Be Left Behind
This is the biggest reason you want your business to have a website or blog. The retail industry has been hit hard by the growing number of people who have abandoned brick and mortar shops for the convenience of online shopping.
At the same time, less than two-thirds (64%) of small businesses have a website. This means that if your small business is not online, you are likely leaving lots of money on the table.
The 80% of internet users who own a smartphone are certainly browsing, researching and shopping online. Having a business website is no longer an option if you want your business to surpass your competition.
If you're still not convinced to take your business online, take a look at a few more reasons your small business needs a website or blog.
1. The majority of consumers in the U.S. shop online.
And not just a few consumers... a full 96% of U.S. consumers do at least some of their shopping online. The biggest reason is that it’s easy and it saves time.
Shopping online means avoiding crowds, traffic, and parking. And if you’re not providing your customers with that option, your competitors are winning on that point alone.
2. Even when consumers shop in a store, they still like to use online tools.
People aren't done heading to a brick and mortar store to shop. In fact 79% of people still do at least as much of their shopping in person as they do online.
However, even for the customers who are willing to come to you, the internet still plays a role.
When they’re trying to figure out where to buy the items they need, they go online. If they want to compare the prices of similar items at a few different stores or check if the store has an item in stock, they use the internet.
Savvy consumers take time to do online research before heading out to do their shopping. Without a website, you’re at a disadvantage during the research stage of the buying process.
3. A website makes it easy for current and future customers to find you.
Currently, the people who can find your business are the people who already know about you. There are also those people they tell about you, and the people who happen to drive by.
Maybe that’s been good enough for you to maintain status quo, but think about the people who are not in those three categories. How many qualified, ready to buy, potential customers never become actual customers because they never hear about your business?
If you don’t show up when they search online for local businesses, you might as well be invisible.
4. A website gives you a way to let customers know your store hours, as well as important news, discounts and sales.
Have you ever showed up at a business ready to browse and spend money, only to find they were closed? It’s a frustrating feeling, especially if you have driven a long way to get there.
Save your customers that frustration when you have a website that lists your store hours and allows them to shop online.
Even better, you can drive more traffic (both in store and online) and entice customers to come in or visit your site during times they wouldn’t have otherwise. Do this by advertising regular in store and online specials.
Having a website will also enable customers to purchase items 24 hours a day, even when your store is closed.
You can add a blog to your website that enables you to write a few articles that show your customers how to use your products and services. With a blog, you can highlight the advantages of working with you over your competition.
When you make shopping easy and convenient for your customers, you get more business, and your customers will have a better experience.
5. A business website gives your business a professional look and it helps you look more legitimate.
A website adds to your brand, which adds to your credibility. Having a website helps people get to know your business.
People expect legitimate businesses to have a website. In a world where scams abound, the first place people turn to make sure a business can be trusted is Google.
If they don’t find your website, it makes you look suspicious at worst, and behind the times at best. Neither scenario helps to build your credibility.
When in doubt, most people will go with a brand they know, like and trust. Without a website and/or blog, you'll have limited opportunities to make a good impression.
Obviously, you need to get your website up fast. But how?
That’s easy: you'll need a website builder.
What is a Website Builder?
A website builder is web design tool that makes it easy for anyone — even if you have no coding knowledge — to create your own website.
Website builders typically come with a number of templates you can choose from so you don’t have to start from scratch and an intuitive website editor that makes it easy to make changes to the template.
You can change out colors, add original text and images, and move elements of the page around, all without having to mess with HTML or learn complicated web design skills.
Stay tuned for our next post where we will show you the steps needed to get your website running quickly with a website builder.
