It's increasingly common to say that if someone isn't online, they don't exist. The more time we spend online, the closer to the truth this statement becomes. The world now relies so heavily on information found online that offline content is gradually losing its importance. We no longer look online just for entertainment and social interaction, but also for practical information on virtually any topic. So, should every business have its own website?
Do you need a website?
Some owners of "analog," traditional, and local businesses remain resistant to technological advancements and don't maintain their own websites . Their reasons: "I don't know anything about it," "why do I need it?", "I don't have time to mess around with it," "it won't change anything," and the like. If a company enjoys good reviews and word of mouth spreads, it might seem like it doesn't need additional promotion. But is that really the case? After all, you can always attract more clients, and if you have too many orders, you can expand your business, raise prices, or otherwise increase profits.
What does a website offer? About three-quarters of consumers admit to making purchasing decisions based on information they find online. Society has become accustomed to the idea that this is where all the information is . This is why, for many customers, your business simply doesn't exist if it doesn't function in any way online. It can even arouse suspicion, as a website is the first step in verifying a company's integrity. Some may assume that if no specific information can be found about a business, it's untrustworthy. Furthermore, searching for specific phrases related to your business will lead them to competitors and likely never use your services again.
Theoretically, a website isn't required, especially if you're able to reach customers in other ways. However, experts agree that it's worth having one to build a professional image and attract new business.
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Advantages of a company website
Need more motivation? The benefits of having a company website and the reasons why you should create one are numerous. You'll find them below!
This is something we've already mentioned above. A website is the best way to present information about your company – the most credible, coming directly from the owner. You can showcase the values that guide your business. But even more importantly, you can present your full offerings, along with detailed descriptions, photos, and other important information that will interest potential customers . If you frequently answer the same questions, a website is a great place to provide comprehensive explanations.
As we've already explained, customers today primarily search online for information. So if you want to be found, you need to be there! Your own website is the best way to do this. You can optimize it to meet the requirements of the most frequently used search engine in Poland, Google. Skillful optimization (it's best to hire a specialist) will help you rank high in search results for specific terms related to your business. Search engine optimization is a complex process, but for the vast majority of companies, it brings tangible benefits.
Your own website is simply advertising. And it's the best one, because it's effective and offers a wealth of opportunities. You can control the message that appears on your website, and by using additional marketing tools (e.g., paid Google promotion ), you can reach a large number of potential customers. It's also worth remembering that a company's website, although it can be considered a form of advertising, isn't intrusive or irritating like TV and radio spots, billboards, or flyers handed out on the street. This drastically reduces the risk of customers being turned off by your company due to intense promotional efforts. It's also worth remembering that most effective ads should lead to your website. Customers are accustomed to this, and you can then perfectly measure the effectiveness of your advertising.
We've mentioned this before. These days, the inability to find company information is simply suspicious. It's common knowledge that every reputable company has a website and cares about its image, which plays a crucial role. Customers want to make informed purchasing decisions, so they compare offers online and seek reviews of businesses before trusting them. The lack of a website usually eliminates you from the race for customers early on, and it certainly doesn't help you prove your credibility.
This point may not be relevant to everyone, but for some companies, it can be crucial. The internet knows no geographical boundaries, so with your own website, you can reach much further than in the "analog" world. Even if your business is local, you might be able to expand it to serve customers in other regions or even countries. The world is becoming increasingly smaller in this regard. New markets can prove incredibly helpful in difficult times and help you become more resilient to economic fluctuations.
- Contact with the customer
If you meet with customers daily, you might think you don't need an additional communication channel. However, this is a mistake, as online you can be confronted with a much larger number of opinions, questions, and concerns. You might discover why some are hesitant to use your offer and help them change their minds. Therefore, contact information should always be prominently displayed on your website – ideally, multiple channels, so everyone can choose their preferred form of communication. For large companies, it's worth including separate contact information for each department so that questions and opinions are immediately directed where they belong. If you run a brick-and-mortar business, don't forget to include a map of your headquarters so it's easy to find.
- Availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
What are your company's opening hours? When can you visit, call, or receive a response to an email? Most businesses operate for a few to a dozen hours a day, which can make it difficult for some potential customers to view or take advantage of their offers. Meanwhile, a website is available 24/7. Offers can be viewed at any time, as can other important information. If you customize it for this purpose, the website can also continuously collect orders and inquiries. This is convenient for the customer, and more profitable for you!
A website allows you to perform some repetitive tasks much more conveniently thanks to automation. Collect orders or registrations via an online store, form, or other similar solutions, make important documents publicly available, and include answers to frequently asked questions in the FAQ section. These are procedures that a website management agency can successfully handle, reducing the workload for your team.
The above point also relates to the next one. A well-designed website is a huge help for businesses. You can include everything customers typically ask about, thoroughly present all your products and services, and clarify any discrepancies, such as those related to their implementation. This can save you and your employees a significant amount of time typically spent on such activities. As a result, you can use this time much more efficiently – according to the company's needs.
Let's be honest, your competition probably already has a website. If you don't want to be left behind, there's only one solution: join them. Many customers search for information about specific products or services online. If they can't find you there, they'll likely turn to your competitors.
A thorough understanding of your company's customer profile, their needs, preferences, and habits, allows for significantly more effective sales. Online tools make it incredibly easy to gather information about your target audience, making it easier to reach them. Using Google Analytics, for example, you can see who, when, from where, and how they're accessing your website. You can also implement your own surveys, ratings, and comments, as well as other systems that allow you to assess the quality of your offerings and their alignment with customer needs. This allows you to improve them and, in turn, increase your profits.
- Low cost of customer acquisition
As we mentioned at the beginning, some skeptics claim they can't afford a website. In reality, it's a very inexpensive solution, especially since creating a website is a one-time expense. While it can be significant for complex websites, most small businesses will be satisfied with a very simple, low-cost business card. CMS systems make this possible even for free and without specialized programming knowledge (computer and internet skills are sufficient). Furthermore, you only need to pay a small annual fee for a domain and hosting. You can, of course, allocate additional funds for its maintenance, updating, optimization, or promotion, but this isn't necessary. Instead, the website is always available, continually building your reputation and attracting new customers. This is the cheapest form of promotion, and it becomes increasingly profitable over time.
Or maybe social media is enough?
Social media is often used as an alternative to websites. Some small businesses choose to maintain a page solely on Facebook, the most popular platform in Poland, to communicate with customers. At first glance, this might seem like a beneficial solution – Facebook is free (though it does offer paid promotion options), it's easy to use, and you can manage the page yourself. In practice, however, it has a number of drawbacks. Firstly, most customers searching for a specific product or service enter a specific phrase into Google or marketplaces like Allegro. As a result, they receive results consisting primarily of well-positioned websites or sponsored links. Extensive SEO and SEM activities are impossible for a Facebook page. Furthermore, it doesn't look particularly professional and doesn't necessarily inspire trust.
Moreover, Facebook is primarily suitable for ongoing communication. However, it's difficult to place all the important information there in a way that customers can easily access. Furthermore, despite the site's immense popularity, not everyone uses it, which limits the audience for published content.
It's also worth mentioning that when using Facebook, you must adhere to its regulations, and the content you publish isn't truly yours. Sometimes, your page can be blocked, leaving customers without their only source of information about your company and its offerings. The Lord's grace rides on a motley horse! 🙂 Therefore, a Facebook page should be treated solely as a complement to your online business – a place to interact with users and share current information. However, it definitely shouldn't replace a website.
A company website – it doesn't have to be difficult
As you can see, a website for your business isn't a requirement, but a highly recommended tool that offers many benefits. Remember, however, that creating and maintaining one doesn't have to be difficult! In many cases, a simple business card with basic information and data is enough. Then you don't have to worry about high costs. Investing in a website is certainly a much better idea than investing in other types of advertising (flyers, announcements, posters, billboards, etc. ). If you're creating a simple business card website, it can be a great help! 🙂
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- the consequences of not having a website when running a business,
- the impact of a website on business development,
- restrictions on conducting business only on social media,
- building the company's visibility on the Internet through a simple, functional website.
