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Believe it or not, in 2017 there are still many small companies who do not have a business website. In fact, recent research suggests that up to 71% of small businesses don’t have one! If you’re serious about developing your business, then there are compelling reasons why you really do need to get one – as explained by web design experts WTS Technologies.
It makes your business look mere credible
Research carried out by Verisign revealed that 84% of customers think that a business with a website is more credible than one without an online presence.
It makes your business more discoverable
There are a staggering 3.5 billion internet searches carried out every day and so without an online presence, your business will be missing out on a huge potential market. This could be from customers further afield, or in the vicinity of your physical location – studies show that 90% of customers look online to find and evaluate local goods and services.
It expands your business’s market
Having a website opens your business up to customers from across the globe. An e-commerce store means that you are not restricted to selling your products to only local customers, as they can be discovered and bought by people in different countries and even on different continents.
It makes your business more relatable
Publishing blogs and useful guides on your website helps to personalize your business and by adding social media buttons, you can encourage visitors to share your content and drive potential new customers to your site. A website with contact details and links to social media accounts also allows customers to easily connect with you, building trust.
It allows you to showcase products in real time
Traditional marketing methods such as print adverts and brochures meant that updating promotional materials to include new products could be an expensive affair. With a website however, keeping your products and services up to date is quick and easy. It can be as simple as logging in to the back end of the website, adding a photo and some text, and hitting publish. Out of stock items can also be easily hidden to avoid unwanted orders or inquiries.
It provides valuable analytics data
Having a website provides you with a wealth of useful data about your customers, and potential customers. By setting using software such as Google Analytics, you can gain access to valuable data such as how many people have visited your site, where they live, how long they spent on the site, which pages or products they spent the most time browsing, and much more. Analyzing your website visitors’ demographics can really help to inform your future marketing strategy and target those who will be most interested in your products and services.
