According to Tyl by Natwest, over 770,000 businesses came into being in 2020, that’s a lot; in fact, it’s 30% more than in 2019. Ok, last year was a little strange, but you need all the resources you can get to make yourself known and run a thriving business. Getting a business website has therefore never been more important!
Reports from 2020 suggest the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our buying behaviours. We’re buying more stuff over the internet, with one estimate suggesting the event has advanced the general trend from in-store to online shopping by 5 years.
But, what if you offer services and not products? Ask yourself: when did you last search for a company website to find out more? The internet is the go-to place to research anything, and services are no exception. The best accountants? No problem! Dog training for Spot? Oh yes! The best website providers? Yup, those too.
Whether you’re a new business just getting on its feet or is a well-established company, a website will give you a digital home. Consumers can find out everything they need to know about you without you having to lift a finger (well, ok, maybe one).
They can check your physical location, look up your opening times, and answer their own questions about you whenever they want. An outlet with 24/7 access. If they want to know whether you do same-day delivery or if there is a local, reputable plumber for their broken boiler at 3 a.m., they can find out. Though we’re not known as ‘The City That Never Sleeps’, we’re certainly a demanding lot.
Your website is a blank canvas to demonstrate to the world what you do best. There’s no pre-determined format you need to adhere to or specific media you have to use. It’s your space to express yourself and your business.
Tell clients all about your products and services and why your offering is unique. Now’s your time to shine! Show images, play videos, display testimonials and reviews. It’s up to you. Social media platforms are the strings you can attach to give you more reach, but they can’t do the heavy lifting a website can.
Good, solid branding is vital, and your business website is the chance to send it down the catwalk. Using colours, fonts, voice, content, and of course, your logo, you can create a website that clearly speaks your brand and appeals to your prospects.
It’s also up to you to determine where your brand goes. Brands evolve, and you have control over that evolution. Perhaps unlike social media platforms, a website won’t limit how you can express yourself, and so your ultimate business goals and how you achieve them are entirely in your hands.
Having a website gets you out there so you can compete with others in your sector. With good SEO and a website that is full of valuable information, more people will discover you, which will ultimately lead to more transactions. And if you don’t have a website? You don’t have a slice of that market.
Even if you’re a high street store, getting online will open you up to a whole new customer base and will allow you to trade further afield. Conversely, it could lead to more footfall in your physical store as more people learn about you. You might only be a small operation, but sure you can rival your rivals in quality, service and expectation!
Just having a business website lends legitimacy and shows that you’re genuine. It lets your audience know that you are who you say you are, and using your website, they can learn more about you. The design of your website can add (or detract!) from that credibility too.
Ok, your prospects have found that you exist, but are you any good? Here, they can find out that, actually, you’re fabulous! By displaying testimonials and reviews on your business website, you establish not only your credibility but also your success. This “social proof” demonstrates to prospects that, based on how you’ve serviced your previous customers, they’re going to get a good deal, whatever they pay. And with 9 in 10 buyers checking out reviews before they purchase from a particular company, according to Tighe, it’s a bit of a no-brainer.
All relationships need nurturing, and the business-customer relationship is no different. Whether you’re selling a product or service, there needs to be an element of trust from the consumer.
Demonstrate your knowledge and build your legitimacy further by providing accurate, informative and helpful content that visitors will ultimately benefit from. Don’t believe us? See here. It can be on almost anything — developments in your sector, product information, or sneak previews of services you provide.
There are plenty of options when it comes to getting a website of your own. From the affordable ‘do-it-yourself’ variety to the fully-managed and uniquely-designed website hosted by your favourite web designer (now, who would that be, Eighty3?). Whatever your budget or your requirements, you’re sure to find something that suits you.
Without our website, we don’t know what we’d do. We’d have nowhere to put our blog, to tell people what we do, or to meet lovely new people like you. So, if you want more reasons why you should be getting online, or you’d like to know where to start, then drop us a line! Find us on Google My Business, use our contact form or give us a call on 01384 936620.
