As an entrepreneur, you may be wondering why every small business needs a killer website. We know the saying, “I need a website because everybody else has one,” is not very compelling. Plus, while it may seem like all your competitors are online, that’s not necessarily the truth.
Less than 65% of small businesses in the U.S. have a website. It’s staggering to think that one-third of small business owners are missing out on the benefits a killer website has to offer.
Let’s look at the numbers
The dollars in the cash register are important, but they shouldn’t be the only numbers on your mind. Here are some figures that’ll convince you to put building a website high up on your to-do list.
- 59% of the world’s population, or 4.57 billion people, are active internet users, with residents of China, India, and the U.S. taking the lead.
- 51% of consumers use Google to research an online purchase.
- B2C e-commerce worldwide is likely to total $4.5 trillion by 2021.
But what about the customers right in your own backyard? Do you need a website to reach friends, neighbors, and other residents in your region? Absolutely!
Why? We’ll let the numbers handle this one, too.
- Mobile searches including the phrase “near me today” exploded by 900% in just two years
- Mobile searches for “open,” “now,” and “near me” grew by more than 200% in two years
- 60% of customers with a smartphone have called a company by hitting the call button in their search results
- 46% of customers checked online to see if an item was in stock before going to a nearby brick-and-mortar location
- 70% of consumers who buy from an online store will want to visit that store in-person
Still not convinced? Maybe you think websites cost too much and are not worth the expense. Maybe creating and managing a website is too complicated. After all, free social media sites can do the job just as well, right?
Table of Contents
Don’t Limit Your Potential
Do yourself a favor. Don’t wait for someday. Only half of all small businesses survive the first five years after opening.
While a killer website isn’t the only thing you need to guarantee your small business’ success, it will definitely help you keep the doors open. The other objections, like cost and social media, are not that useful if you go out of business.
So, are you still wondering why every small business needs a killer website? If the numbers above didn’t prove that websites are a winning strategy, check out the following reasons below.
All Your Friends Are Doing It
Okay, maybe not all your friends have websites. As noted above, just over 1/3 of small businesses don’t have a web presence, but that should only encourage you to build one today. The future is now, and customers expect businesses to have a website.
You Can Make A Great First Impression
With a clean, clear design, easy-to-use navigation, and meaningful, concise web copy, you can make a lasting impression before your customer walks through the door.
Gain Some Street Cred
A website can help your small business gain credibility with potential customers, and it gives your business a higher level of professionalism.
Add a blog or a weekly tips section to show off your knowledge in your industry
Don’t Play Hide-and-seek
A website will help you find customers and help customers find you. Your web presence will help attract new clients to your business. Plus, with a link to Google Maps, you can point customers right to your front door.
The Virtual Doors Are Always Open
Owning a small business is more than a full-time job, but you have to sleep occasionally. With a website, customers can access your business 24/7/365. This way, you can rest your head for a few hours and continue making money.
Make It personal
If you own a family restaurant, for instance, you can share the story of how you developed the menu from your grandmother’s traditional recipes. Talk about adapting dishes for your gluten-free and vegan customers. Show off the pictures of your trip to the old country. Give your business a voice your competitors can’t imitate.
Encourage Customers To Reach Out
Say your business offers custom woodworking, and you’re the expert. A customer searching for custom bookshelves might not even know what to ask. As a solution, you can provide a section for FAQs and encourage visitors to contact you with any questions. Just make sure your phone number or email is easy to find on the website.
Broaden Your Base
Maybe your business involves quirky, handmade jewelry. You have a loyal, local following from the craft fair circuit, but you’d love to reach a wider audience. A website can help make your work more visible and share your crafts with the world.
Grow With Google
With a quality website and a little search engine optimization (SEO) work, you can increase your Google rankings and your customer list. To get started, you can find many free resources online.
Customers Are On The Move
People are always on their phones. With a website that’s optimized for use on a variety of devices, customers will have great web experience and want to stay on your site.
The quality of mobile experience is vital since roughly half of all web traffic is mobile. Even more, 60% of users say that the ability to shop on mobile impacts their decision.
Get More Reviews
Your business provides top-notch service. Word-of-mouth is great, but a website provides the perfect spot to share customer reviews and testimonials. It also offers a wider reach to help the good word get around.
Not-so-humble Brag
Maybe you own a moving company that has a terrific reputation in your area. Your business is known as the go-to for reliable, affordable service. But hardly anyone knows about your special offers or that you also provide residential and commercial cleaning. As a solution, use your website to highlight any goods or services you offer.
Keep Up With Your Competition
Sure, big companies with state-wide or national recognition are great. With your ties to the community and your commitment to personal service, your small business is even better. A website can give you the reach to grow your customer base so you can compete with the big players.
Are there downsides to starting a website?
After seeing all these benefits, do you still have objections to why every small business needs a killer website?
Let’s review some common causes for concern and show why you don’t need to worry.
Is It Expensive?
Small business owners must pay attention to cash flow. The good news is, you don’t need to spend a fortune on a high-quality website. Plus, the return on investment in terms of customer reach will be more than the price tag of having a website. You can even build it yourself for next to nothing.
Is It Difficult?
Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you can build and maintain your own small business website.
You can create your website with these leading website builders. They give you the tools, templates, and instructions to help you do it yourself. It’s affordable, and you don’t need a web design experience.
Can’t I Just Use social media?
Using social media as one part of your small business marketing plan is a smart move, but none of these channels can replace a website. Search engines are known to change their algorithms, which can severely impact your reach on social media. Also, you don’t own your social media account, so it could be deleted at any time.
Is My Business Too Small?
No business is too young or small for a website. If you’re the only employee of your art supply shop, for instance, and you’re opening the doors next week, a website can still work to your advantage. You want customers to be able to find you and pay for your goods and services, right?
With the short window for small businesses to gain traction and stay in business, your website should be a chief focus. Five years can quickly pass when you’re running a business, and you want to be in the 50% of shops that make it past the first five years.
Every Small Business Needs A Website
At this point, there’s no logical reason to question why every small business needs a killer website. The bigger question is, why wouldn’t you ensure that your small business has a web presence?
A website attracts customers and helps them find you. Establishing an online presence gives you a unique voice, and a site will make your business available at all times of the day.
Better yet, a clean design provides a sense of professionalism and legitimacy. It provides a way to display goods and services, not just for customers in your area, but for potential customers around the world.
Building a website is not really optional at this point. Customers expect a web presence. You cannot afford to drive them to another small business’s door.
Author: Chris Muller
Chris Muller is a small business owner who started a digital marketing business that focuses on freelance writing, content marketing, and SEO — all while working full-time and playing dad to two kids.
