Technology is fundamentally transforming the way we live our personal and professional lives. It is nearly impossible to describe the impact it has on the business world. From the process of digitalization to automated chatbots and other AI-powered tools, technology offers countless new opportunities for businesses of any size.
However, when the topic of owning a corporate website is mentioned, many (small) business owners say they don’t have the time or resources to build one. In fact, a recent study suggests more than a quarter of small businesses still do not have a website. But the majority of them do not believe a website is required in the first place or use Social Media instead.
Little do they know, a website is amongst the most important assets of a business. Having a corporate website for your business offers a wide variety of benefits – from expanding your business to a new audience and building credibility to creating a digital footprint for your business.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the benefits of owning a website for your business.
What are the benefits of having a website?
Having a website accelerates the development of your business in several ways. He gives you:
Control your online presence
If you are a startup or an established company without any online presence, creating a website for your business will give you control over how your company is portrayed in the digital world. Having a website for your business will give you – the owner – more control over the information you share and help build your reputation online. This not only eliminates the need to depend on other sources speaking for you but it also creates the perfect introduction to your official presence on the Web.
Global reach
Technology has transformed the business landscape forever. Today, expanding your business to a global audience is easier and more cost-effective than ever before. But the only way for businesses to reach all of your potential customers is to have a professional, well-thought website design that converts. Owning a corporate website opens your business to the world. This presents amazing financial opportunities because the more countries you cater to the more successful your business will become. As a result, this has the potential to enormously increase your customer base, both nationally and globally.
Build credibility
Today, it is more common for businesses to own a website than not. We live in a digital era, where even consumers expect you to have an official online presence. Owning a corporate website for your business makes your company more credible, legitimate, and trustworthy. A website will not only put your business (and services/products) out there, but it will also help future consumers to find your company.
However, not every website design is perfect. There are numerous business websites that leave bad impressions on online consumers because of poor grammar, web design responsiveness, website loading speed, etc. Such designs are highly disliked by most consumers which results in a loss in revenue and other potential work opportunities for the company.
Competitive advantage
A very big percentage of businesses have a web presence. This is a strong competitive disadvantage for companies that do not utilize the digital world for their business ventures. Without a website, you risk losing customers to already established businesses that know how to use the online world to their advantage.
But it is not only the business side that is important. A big portion of consumers uses the Web to research a company or a product before making a purchase. To them, not having a website translates into a poor business ethic. Not only consumers won’t take your business seriously if you do not have a web presence but you also risk losing them to a direct competitor, who has a website.
Grow your business
Owning corporate websites offer a lot of new, exciting opportunities for businesses of all sizes. However, the digital world can be extremely beneficial for small businesses. There are many small owners who struggle to find new Marketing opportunities to grow and expand their business. Joining the online world can bring a new pool of clients and improve the current relationship with their clients.
Broaden your audience
When it comes to business, there is always room for improvement. To encourage continued success for your company, attracting new customers through Google is one of the best-known tactics to make your business more visible.
A well-optimized corporate website can help your business rank for relevant search terms in popular search engines like Google and Bing. This can be used to drive massive organic traffic to your website and business. This process, also known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is mandatory for the success of every online company. And while Social Media networks are excellent SEO tools, having your own company name as a domain name speaks for powerful branding. Plus, it will allow you to create corporate emails that end with the said domain name (ex. [email protected]).
Except for using your website as a branding tool, it can be also very beneficial from the perspective of the online consumer. Today, more than ever, the number of consumers that prefer the comfort of online shopping is on the rise. People tend to choose this option because it is more convenient.
In addition, many consumers use the Internet to get important information before making a final decision. With the help of tracking software (such as Google Analytics), businesses can collect valuable information about the behavior of their online audience and establish decision-making patterns that will allow them to increase their revenue.
Improved customer support
Elevate your customer support by using a website to better serve your existing customers. Corporate websites contain essential information about your company culture and values but they can be also used to improve your interactions with your clients. A company can use its web platform to instantly communicate with its customers. Creating a detailed FAQ page for customers and adding Pop-Ups with exclusive deals, as well as publishing your contact information in the header or footer of the website will give online users the ability to easily discover a way to get in touch with you.
Branding
When people think of branding, they usually think about the logo of a company. But branding is a more complex process. It is the ability to distinguish a certain brand from the rest and make it recognizable for the regular user. Ideally, it is a reflection of how consumers see and perceive your company.
On the Internet, branding is about content. From selecting the best color scheme to choosing the right web design. From finding your brand voice to discovering the best layout for your online presence. From trying to impress your customers to sharing valuable informative content with them. Whether through Social Media, a website, or both, businesses use the online world to share meaningful information that reflects their core values and to share their story to provide better information to the user.
Showcase your products/services
It does not matter whether your company serves the B2B, B2C, or B2G sector, every business can benefit from having a website because it is a powerful tool to increase their brand awareness. But a website can be very useful for yet another reason – businesses can use it to showcase their products or services. This enables companies to share details about the services they offer, add detailed product descriptions, share testimonials, and more.
Test new ideas
Use a corporate website to test what works best for the online user. Add and optimize website features that can drastically improve the user experience. Create different pop-ups to see which one converts the most leads. Invest in paid advertising to test different search terms and see which one performs best. Use your website to stand out from the competition, because there is so much you can do to build your digital footprint.
Does your business need a website if you use other Social Media networks?
Many business owners believe that Social Media diminishes the need for a corporate website. Some feel that having a Facebook page with an already established community and customer reviews is enough to run a business. But in reality, it is unreasonable to compare Social Media to having a website presence. Although they are similar, they are catered to different groups of people.
Each Social Media platform targets different groups of people who have similar interests and demographics. They are there because it is trending. With that being said, not every Facebook user is on Instagram and vice versa. Plus, the content you share on these networks stays and circulates inside the specific platform. This is necessary to build trust amongst your current customers.
However, if your business does not have a website set up, this can push off many potential new prospects that discover you through Social Media. Nonetheless, on Social Media, you are not in full control and a lot of it is due to following specific rules and paying close attention to changes in algorithms. All of these reasons can limit your discovery.
It is different when it comes to websites. As long as it is indexed by search engines, your website will be easy to find from any point in the world that has an Internet connection. With proper SEO strategy, you will be able to rank on the first page on Google and convert significantly more new leads.
But that’s not the only benefit of having a website. In contrast to Social Media, having your own website puts you in full control of the content you create and the message you convey. Last but not least, trends change and with them, consumers’ preferences also change. What’s trending today, might not exist tomorrow. That’s why it is best if you have a website that acts as an anchor for the next trending Social Media spot.
A website is a long-term investment that continues to pay you back. It enhances your Marketing efforts and has the potential to change your business forever!
We can help you get started! Our team of experts will provide a custom solution for each business ready to enter the digital world.
