Maintaining a website is just as important as having a store, office, or phone number. According to research, 60% of consumers expect firms to have an online presence. Your customers are looking for you, so it is crucial to make your brand easy to find and engage with. These are the best 9 reasons why you need a website:
24/7 online presence
Having a website means your customers can find and interact with your brand anywhere and anytime. Unlike physical stores that have opening and closing hours, websites are always online. The visitors enjoy convenience because they get all the information they need from the comfort of their home. Additionally, since most modern businesses have websites, there’s a high chance you could be losing valuable clients to your rivals if you continue to operate offline.
Credibility
Any respectable business in the current world is expected to have an internet presence of some type. Any company without a phone number or physical address would probably be viewed with suspicion by potential clients; the same goes for those without an email address or website. These are helpful resources for providing clients with important details about your company and responding to any questions they might have. Furthermore, clients will enjoy your services if you have a well-designed, intuitive website since they believe you offer the same excellent experience throughout your entire organization.
Wider reach
A brick-and-mortar store is only accessible by customers who can physically visit it. With an online store, anyone in the world can visit. This advantage is especially beneficial if you sell digital products such as ebooks, audio files, videos, and web design services. A website eliminates geographical barriers by allowing clients from all over the world to engage with your brand. You can also incorporate digital marketing tools such as Google Adwords to advertise to a wider customer base.
Cost effective
In addition to presenting information, your website can be used to offer products and services to customers directly, sometimes eliminating the need for “brick-and-mortar” establishments that have high operating expenses (rent, utilities, staff salaries, to mention a few). By cutting these overheads, you’ll be able to offer your customers a better deal and give your business a competitive advantage. You can also utilize it internally by sharing news with coworkers or any significant data that management needs. This accessibility, flexibility, and availability mean you’ll have a more streamlined operation, which leads to lower overall costs.
Provides valuable consumer insights
Through tools such as Google Analytics, you can determine your ideal client’s demographics, preferences, and how they interact with your brand. You can then modify your offerings to optimize online sales. The wide variety of data at your disposal can also assist in understanding the impact that your social media channels have on your brand. It can also point out areas where you can make changes to your offline business, such as product offerings, branch opening hours, and promotions.
Competitive edge
A website gives you the opportunity to compete and even surpass your business rivals. Even if you’re a scrappy startup, your online presence can give the impression that you’re bigger and more professional than your competitors. By incorporating tools such as email marketing, you can also convert leads at a lower cost than using other marketing tools.
Improves customer service
A website includes several resources that customers can use to better understand your brand. An example is the FAQs section, which lists and answers some of the most asked questions about your business. These answers save your customer care department the time it would take to answer the same questions over and over to individual customers. You can also provide contacts, including phone numbers, social media links, email, and live chat, to ensure customers reach you using the most convenient option.
Overall convenience
A website is convenient to both the owner and the clients who visit it. Being available 24/7 gives customers the assurance that you’re always available to sort their issues. A website also gives you more control compared to alternatives such as social media channels. For example, your Facebook or Instagram page, Tiktok or Youtube channels can be deleted at any time without warning, making you lose access to your audience. However, it’s very unlikely for your web host to remove your website.
Growth prospects
If you monetize your blog, it could provide additional income through affiliate marketing, advertising, and direct sponsorships. Your website can also attract potential investors interested in partnering in new ventures or growing your current one. The wider exposure means you receive more investment and growth opportunities than you would with a brick-and-mortar store.
Final thoughts on why you need a website
Having read all the possible benefits of operating a website, you now have every reason to start one. The WordPress platform gives you every tool you need to create a powerful online presence, ranging from a personal blog to a full-fledged e-commerce site. For more information on how to go about it, read these articles on WordPress basics and the best web host for your website.