If you have been in business for a while and still haven’t made the leap to taking your business online you may be wandering why you should start now? What will a website really do for your business? Maybe most of your work is referral base and word of mouth? Below we address 10 benefits of having a presence online for your business.
1. Competing against the big guy used to seem impossible, not now. Traditionally if you were a small business and your competitors were big players in the markets with huge advertising budgets it seemed you didn’t have a chance competing but now things have changed. The beauty of a custom designed website is that you can make your business look bigger than you are and more importantly through online marketing tactics such as SEO and Pay Per Click marketing you can now compete in the same space online and gain exposure to the same type of customers the big guys do.
2. An employee investment without the sick days. Unlike your other employees, sure a website requires an investment to get up and running and to maintain and keep it updated but it works 24/7 for you. No work cover, sick pay or annual leave. A well-developed tailored website should be taking the mundane tasks away from your daily schedule. Whether it’s an ecommerce website processing orders for you or a custom integration with your crm to automate processes your website really is your best employee.
3. Street Credit. If you have a lot of competitors a website is a great way to gain some credibility. Your website is a place that allows people to read about you, see the type of clients you service, the type of products or services you provide and to understand your value proposition. They will use your website to weigh you up against your competitors, make sure you understand a bespoke website says a lot about the commitment you have for your business. Engage a web designer that will work with you to develop a custom design that reflects the uniqueness and personality of your business and that more importantly will connect with your customers.
4. You never close. One of the greatest benefits of a website is having the ability to interact with your clients 24/7. We are all getting busier and busier; having a website allows potential customers to discover you after work, before work and on the weekends. With the right website you can capture leads while you sleep!
5. Keep customers up to date and engaged. The great thing about a website is that it is a platform for you to keep your clients easily up to date on your progress as a business. Let them know about ways in which your business is expanding, big projects you have been part of or maybe just a new product line you are launching.
6. Flushes out the time wasters. A website allows you to (if you wish) really show transparency with the products and services your provide. Perhaps you find that traditionally because you have a higher quality product or service than your competitors that a lot of your enquiries lead to people not realising the sort of budget they need to interact with your business. Let your website do the work for you, list your prices and your processes so that only qualified leads are making enquiries.
7. Your customers market for you. Traditionally in business without a website the only way to engage with your customers was once they were already customers and building on those relationships. Now with social networking and marketing your customers engaging with you on social media enable you to be visible to their network and essentially spread the promotion off your business for you.
8. Reach people anywhere in the world. Selling clothes or other well-known products online? Why just sell to Australia. Having access to consumers worldwide looking for your product or service can grow your business in ways that once would have never been possible, thinking globally no longer has to cost the earth.
9. Share stories and knowledge. Having a website allows you to showcase that you are an authority in your industry. Share case studies, post interesting articles and share your experiences through your blog. Allow interaction through customers commenting on your articles to gain greater insights into the information they are looking for.
10. Showcases your differences. A website allows you to show your customer why you are different from your competitors. Consumers aren’t always looking for just the cheapest price, perhaps they are looking for highest quality, quickest delivery time, broadest range of options etc. Your website can sell your unique proposition before they even speak to you.
If you would like to get a professional website developed but you’re not sure where to start, call us today on 1300 858 495 for a chat.
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