Top 12 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Website in 2024
Introduction
Do you know why your business needs a Website?
Let me tell you a short story
Recently, after a real estate conference in my city, Lagos Nigeria, I decided to meet some new people.
So, I met a certain man not knowing he actually had a need for a digital marketing agency.
Likewise, I introduced myself,
After I told him about my agency, his first question was “ can i check out your website?
“Sure you can” I replied.
So I gave him the address and he immediately visited my website – Smerise.com.
After a while, he said “that’s impressive”
And next, we scheduled a presentation.
Did you know the thought that waved through my mind at that period?
“What if I didn’t have a website?”
I probably may have missed that opportunity.
Having a website is good for your business!
By the time you’re done reading this article, you would understand why your business needs a Website?
Brief overview of what we are going to look at:
- 3 Reasons Why Your Business May Not Need A Website
- Top 12 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Website
- Common Challenges To Getting A Business Website
- Make It Responsive
- Summary
First, let’s look at reasons why you may possibly not need a website.
Here we go
3 Reasons Why Your Business May Not Need A Website
1. If you hate progress, you do not need a website.
If you’re in this category, the topic “Why Your Business Needs A Website” wouldn’t matter to you.
“Huh? Could anyone hate progress?” You may ask.
Ohh well, I can not say with certainty.
But a few months ago, something happened. I watched on the television a certain woman who said she didn’t like the fact that she could see, saying she wished she was born blind.
And surprisingly, she requested that her eyes be removed. That may sound weird, and I’m sorry that such a thing could happen, but it actually happened. Yes her eyes were plucked out and she became blind. And I mean a true life story, not some sort of movie tale.
Ever since then, I have had to accept the fact that anything is possible.
So back to the question; Could anyone hate progress?
Yes, anything is possible.
And if you’re in this category, then you do not need a website for your business.
2. No Growth Vision
If your business is designed for mediocrity, you may not bother much about having a website.
While some business owners aim for greatness, growth and innovation, others may not have such interest in growth. If you’re in this category, then you do not need a website for your business.
3. If you have no competitors.
Do you run a business in which you have a complete monopoly?
And in addition to that, your business has grown so much leads and customer base.
If you belong to this category, you do not necessarily need a website. Even though having one may add an extra value to your business, you can choose to do without it.
So if you are in any of these categories that I have highlighted, there would be no need to read further as the remaining content wouldn’t be of any help to you.
But if you are interested in growth ( like me), and if you’re not compatible with anything average (like me) and you really want progress for your business, then you definitely need a website for your business. This content is for you.
Please keep reading!
Top 12 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Website
1. Communicate Information
Having a website helps you communicate reliable and genuine information about your business to your target audience.
“But my social media pages can do likewise”, someone may say.
Yes your Facebook or Instagram page can also communicate information about your business, but there is a significant difference.
To create a business page on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter is free and anyone can do that.
So the identity behind the Facebook page is not known. Who created it? Who is running it?
It can be just anyone. So the chances of scam is high.
It is not the same with a business website. And people would trust the information on your website as being more authentic and reliable.
2. A Website helps in branding
The Internet has made it possible for more new companies and goods to be introduced every day, making branding more important than ever.
These days, a firm needs a strong brand identity, especially if it wants to differentiate itself from the competition and build strong brand recognition.
And one of the key ways to establish branding for your business is through your website.
A website that is designed with brand consistency will attract the proper audience and help you build strong connections with them.
3. A Website gives Credibility to a business
The quantitative study commissioned by Verisign says that 5,450 online customers from important markets in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia were polled in December 2019 and January 2020 by 451 Research, in order to better understand their opinions about interacting with businesses online.
About 66% of respondents to the survey felt that a company with its own website is more credible than one without.
Similarly, most respondents said they would expect it to be harder to confirm the legitimacy of a company without a website.
4. Better Perception
People that never believed in your business may have a change of mindset when they discover it has a website.
A business with a website has a better perception and gets recommended more than one without a website
Furthermore, according to the study commissioned by Verisign, 71% of respondents reported being more likely to recommend a business with a professional website.
And that’s true, because perception is stronger than reality.
People have a better perception of your business when they associate it with a professional website.
5. It Makes Your Business Look More Professional
Having a website gives the idea you are not a local business.
But one that is serious and prepared to do business with all kinds of people and with people across your geographic location.
6. A Website Is An Essential Step in The Customer’s Journey
Similar to a real store, visitors browse your website until they decide to come in and have a look at what you have to offer.
Imagine a physical business that does not have a physical store.
You go about to advertise your business and tell people to place orders when they need your products, and you would always deliver to their homes.
You may manage to get a few sales, but you would have a lot of limitations and drawbacks.
Having a website is an essential part of the customers journey
Even if people do not purchase anything when they first come in, they might on later trips.
Your goal for a great website should be to direct people from many channels to it.
Your website is where you’ll motivate potential customers to take action.
7. A Website Gives Your Business Visibility
As of January 2024, according to Statista, there were 5.35 billion internet users worldwide, which amounted to 66.2 percent of the global population.
Visibility is an indispensable component of growth.
Your business does not need visibility if it does not need growth. A lot of people would discover your business online who would never have discovered it if you did not have a website.
70% of consumers will visit a store because of information found online.
We miss out on a huge consumer opportunity when we fail to recognize the significance of online visibility.
Starting online visibility early allows you to take advantage of a wealth of prospective client opportunities.
8. Having a Website Is Essential For Local Businesses
- 78% of local searches on mobile result in an offline purchase
- A purchase follows 28 % of all local searches
- 62% of consumers will disregard a business if they can’t find them online
These facts show clearly the need to have a strong online presence.
By having a website you position your small business to leverage on Google Local Search to gain local customers and grow.
9. Can Enhance Lead Generation
Lead Generation is one of the most compelling reasons for having one for your company.
When properly optimized for conversions, your website can be a gold mine for lead generation
People will know how to get in touch with you after they discover you online, show interest in your offering, and want to learn more.
This presents you with the chance to boost sales.
At Smerise, this is one of the things we do for our clients; we optimize their website for lead generation.
It doesn’t matter what your industry or niche is, you can also optimize your website for lead generation. Send us a message and find out how we can help you do this.
10. Organic Traffic
If your website is search engine optimized and you are online, there’s a possibility that it will appear in Google search results.
This presents an opportunity for you to significantly grow your clientele.
However, maximizing organic traffic properly will depend on how well your website content answers the users queries and solves their needs.
This is where creating high quality content and effective content marketing comes in.
At Smerise, this is one of the areas where we excel. We help small business owners create high quality content for their website.
This can enable them to build a healthy blog, attract and retain their target customers and get the most benefits from having a website.
Your content needs are solved at Smerise Digital, message us now to schedule a free consultation, and find out how we can help you.
11. Build An Online Presence
A Website Offers you a More Reliable Way to Build Online Presence
A friend of mine lamented about how she lost a social media account she had invested so much to build, and the only option she was left with was to start all over again.
Why? She couldn’t explain.
Her account was suddenly banned.
These things happen often with social media platforms.
One could suddenly get banned. It doesn’t seem to be encouraging. Because one would have to start all over again.
It’s not the case with having a website. Your website is your platform. You are in control. And this provides a more reliable way to build your business online
12. Important Updates
Your website gives you a platform to post important Updates about your company; products, events, promo’s etc.
You can easily make changes and announcements for your clients on your website because it is always up to date.
It’s a means of keeping them informed of everything you do.
Common Challenges To Getting A Business Website
1. Not being tech savvy
One of the challenges I see with some business owners is that they have some sort of hesitation getting a website.
And this is because they feel they are not tech savvy and wouldn’t be able to manage the website.
I understand this.
And so I have created a FREE guide to show business owners how they can effectively manage a website and get the best results from their website.
If this is something you need, please kindly Say Hi to us on WhatsApp and get the Free guide delivered to you immediately
2. Having limited budget
I understand that some small business owners have limited budgets, and may not be able to afford the cost of Web Design services.
At Smerise, we have a web design payment structure that was created to help small business owners get a website for their business seamlessly.
This is good for any small business owner with a limited budget.
If this is something you need, please kindly chat us on WhatsApp and we will respond to you immediately
Make It Responsive
According to zippia, 85% of American adults use smartphones, and 1.21 billion smartphones were sold around the world in 2022.
These facts would give you an idea of how important it is to build your website with mobile phones in mind.
Responsive web design is all about designing websites that adjust to a user’s device .
Regardless of the device it is viewed on, a website should maintain its best possible look and usability.
It should also accommodate varying screen sizes, orientations, layouts, and platforms.
It is very important to ensure that whoever designs your website makes it mobile responsive.
Summary
In summary, if you are interested in visibility, growth, increase in clientele, lead generation and increase in sales, having a website is very important for your business.
Consider getting one if you do not have any.
Have a limited budget? Talk with us right away, we have a payment structure designed to make it easy for you. Message Us Now