Advantages of a Business Website For Business Growth Reaching a Wider Audience Website-AudienceThe first and perhaps most obvious advantage of a business website is the potential for reaching a wider audience. The internet is used by literally millions of people, all of them are looking for something and some of them might be looking for you! Building a website for your business will mean you could potentially reach these otherwise unreachable customers. Your business might be local, but you might have the potential to sell your products or services to a wider market, whether it be people in the next town, the nation as a whole or even the international market. Data shows that internet shopping is still on the rise, so taking your business online will potentially allow you to take advantage of the growth and expand your business. Even if you have no intention of using a business website to sell, you still might want to let customers know about your business. People commonly research businesses online before actually visiting the business location. So having a well designed website will help encourage them to come and visit you or be able to find your business in the first place. Anyone, Anywhere & Anytime website-anywhereAn advantage of having a website is your business information and details about your products and services can be accessed by anyone, no matter where they are on the planet or what time of day it is. The internet is online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So even if your business isn’t open your website will be! If you have a contact form or another way for people to be able to contact you – even if it is as simple as your e-mail address on your website, then people can potentially get in contact with you, whether you’re in front of a computer or not. In the modern age, people are using their mobile phones more and more to browse the internet, find out about businesses and even buy products and services (UK Business Going Mobile – M-Commerce). So even if your website is just a short description of your business it might help customers find your location while they are on the move. This is especially important for restaurants, pubs and other eateries, but is also a relevant consideration for most other businesses. Easy Access To Business Information Website-informationWith a website, customers can easily access information about your business. They can see what products or services you sell, your prices, your location and much more. Whatever you decide to tell them, they can find it with a few clicks of a mouse. Keeping It Fresh Once a website is designed, you can keep it up-to-date to be relevant to your business and encourage more visitors (and potential sales). More and more people are using a blog to promote their business. In fact, research shows that Businesses That Blog Get More Traffic. So using a blog to keep content fresh and attract attention could mean a big difference to your business. Publicity & Advertising You may think of the advantages of a website in terms of advertising and publicity for your business. The costs of having a business website are actually quite low. An affordable website design may cost you around £99, then you need a suitable domain name and good quality webhosting and you’re ready to go. The ongoing costs are minimal, but the potential return on investment could be quite significant. Think of your business website in terms of advertising for your business and you’ll be more likely to see the value. Links From Others & Viral Marketing online-marketingWith a website and the current use of social media and marketing, it is quite possible for a good idea, clever product or business service to go “viral”. Word spreads like wildfire across the internet and even the smallest business can get worldwide recognition without any effort on their own part. Viral marketing is a boom in recent years. Our recent article (Old Spice Viral Marketing Boosts Sales By 107%) demonstrated how a simple campaign by Old Spice significantly increased their sales. With a website, you too have the potential to do the same! If your business is good, people will link to it, people will talk about it and they will share their thoughts. Recognition of your business and your brand will grow. Securing Your Brand Online Having a website for your business is not just an advantage; it’s an essential way to protect your business brand online. Stake your business claim on the internet or someone else will! There is a risk that if you don’t have a business website and secure a domain name relevant to your business then someone else will do it for you. The act of Cybersquatting is now less prevalent since the introduction new laws to combat it, but there is still a risk of someone innocently taking your preferred domain name. Others with a gripe against your business might use a website or social media accounts to damage your business reputation. Getting there first will allow you to protect and secure your business brand online.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 06:37:12 +0000