In today’s digital age, the first step people take when looking for a product or service is to turn to the Internet. Whether that’s asking for recommendations or simply searching for nearby stores that carry a certain product, individuals are increasingly reliant on the Internet for information.
As such, it’s crucial for a business of any size to have a website. Not only will a website set a business apart from its competition, but having a website can also generate new leads and increase business. Read on to learn specific reasons why having an online presence is beneficial for businesses.
Credibility
Before purchasing a product or service, most individuals want to do research so that they can make an informed purchasing decision. In 2020, individuals expect to be able to turn to a business’s website to learn more about their product and services. If a customer is enthusiastic about a new product but can’t find any information about the business, he or she might question the validity of the product and choose not to purchase it. Having a website can provide a good first impression and give customers comfort that the business is in fact real and trustworthy.
Additionally, a website can help set apart a business from its competition. If there are numerous businesses in one area offering the same products or services, a well-designed and informative website might be the determining factor for why a customer chooses that business over others.
Showcase Products and Services
While social media ads are effective in reaching wide audiences, they often contain limited information that is designed to catch a customer’s attention. A website can provide more information about a product that might sway a customer to purchase that product.
For example, a potential customer might see a Facebook ad for a new software. The customer’s interest has been piqued, but he or she isn’t ready to purchase the software. What does the software do? Is it worth the price on the ad? If the business has a website, the customer is able to learn more about the product. Maybe there is a blog post describing the product and why it’s the first of its kind. Maybe there is an embedded YouTube video that shows the software working in real-time. Customers are more willing to purchase products if they have a more complete story about what the product is and why it’s beneficial to the customer.
Being able to showcase products and services also helps in displaying brand consistency. If a potential customer browses a website for a sustainable clothing company, he or she can gain a clearer understanding of what the company’s mission and products rather than an isolated social media post.
Display Reviews and Testimonials
Displaying reviews and testimonials is another way to further establish trust between a business and customer. Humans use “social proof” to make sense of the world around them and gauge credibility for other humans as well as businesses. Customers are more inclined to trust that a product works as stated if they see positive reviews and testimonies about that product.
Because there are a variety of websites that handle reviews such as Google, Yelp, and Facebook, websites can also act as an archive, where reviews from all of these websites can be found in one place. A website can also host links to newspaper articles or other blogs that have reviewed the products.
Generate Leads and Traffic
With a variety of website platforms such as WordPress, Wix, and GoDaddy, building a website has never been easier or cheaper. While there are some start-up costs in creating a website such as paying a platform or setting up a domain, having a website will create more return-on-investment in the long run.
For example, social media ads are more effective when they direct individuals to a landing page on the business’s website. A potential customer might click on an ad for a product and get taken to a landing page on a website. From there the customer has more options to interact with the business than simply seeing an ad on social media. Perhaps he or she might purchase that product or a different product, or maybe he or she might sign up for the newsletter. Connecting social media ads with a website provides another way for customers to learn about a business’s message, mission, and personality.
Having a website is also beneficial for search engine optimization, or SEO, which is the practice of increasing quantity and quality of organic traffic to a website. Creating a website with a lot of content and keywords can help a website show up further in web searches, and the goal is that a business’s website will show up first based on what is searched for. This way customers can learn about businesses they might have never come across before.
For example, a burger restaurant in Dallas, Texas might have a large following on Facebook, but Facebook users would have to have some prior knowledge about the restaurant to like the page. If the restaurant has a large amount of SEO in their website, someone searching “Burger restaurants in Dallas, Texas” might come across the business without ever having seen the restaurant on social media. Having a website increases SEO and opens up the possibility of gaining new customers through organic search results.
Providing Contact Information
A website is also beneficial in showing phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, physical locations, and social media information all in one compact place. Businesses can save time from having to relay this information over the phone, and customers have access to this information 24/7. Many website also utilize a “Contact Us” form or online chat bot where they can submit questions and receive information in real-time without having to wait in a phone queue or leave a message.
Riser Media Group
Having a website is essential in today’s day and age. Let the experts at Riser Media Group create a website for your business to help it RISE above the competition!