Since the inception of the internet in the public domain back in the early 90’s, the internet has grown into a massively popular technology that helps people and businesses in so many ways. One of the key benefits, and the reason why the internet was originally conceived was the ability for it to be used as an information and marketing tool.
Businesses can setup a website, and educate prospects on why their product or service is better than others and so on. Unfortunately, many people who are unfamiliar with technology don’t truely realise the true benefit of the web. Due to their lack of awareness of the true potential, their business fails to benefit from the amazing profit growth that a website can generate.
So here are five powerful reasons why websites are a great tool for marketing YOUR business:
1. Over 80% of people use the internet as their first channel to find something they want or need
Lets face it - no one really opens the phone book anymore. Now, i’m not saying don't list your business in the phonebook - because you may have some clients who still use it! But I’m trying to make it very obvious to you that over 80% of people use the internet first! Ask yourself? What do you do when you want to find a restaurant? Find an electrician? Most likely search it up!
Obviously with the younger generation growing up in the ‘internet age’, the amount of people researching on the internet is only going to keep growing and therefore even make it more important that your business is online!
2. Websites work 24/7, 365 days of the year, they’re your ‘silent salesman’
They don’t take leave, they don’t need lunch breaks and they don’t have good and bad days - they simply do their job 24/7, all year round. They’re basically a salesperson, selling your products and/or services to those wanting information NOW - not when you’re back from a job, not when you arrive at the office, not when you’re finished on the phone, it’s ready when your prospects need it!
Websites are a businesses most important, and most long-term marketing asset in relation to providing customers information. It’s important a website obviously showcases the products and services available, but its also critical that they provide other useful information such as information about the company and the people behind it as well as example projects perhaps or commonly asked questions.
Your website needs to be there for people when you aren’t! So they need to be informative while at the same time being still clean and easy to interpret. There are too many websites with poorly laid out information which is all over the place! Find a good balance for your website and it will work magic for you!
3. Websites can utilise automation and save you time
Computers are known to save time by automating certain tasks that would otherwise take a human a lot longer to do! Thats why computers are used in scientific researches and simulations to help gauge thousands of different scenarios and data sets without spending many more hours manually calculating it!
Like the scientists, we can use technology to automate, plan and store information. A website is a piece of software, and therefore it has the potential to be developed so that it automates parts of your business - or in most cases, sales-process. This can include things like automated email scheduling, automated order follow-up and direct connection with your business database software or accounting system.
Websites can be automated so you can spend less time doing administrative tasks and spend more of that time doing actual sales and marketing, or doing the work that makes you actual money!
4. You're in full control
While Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are a great business tool, they are no substitutes for a website. When you have a website, you’re in full-control of what the person can see and what they can do.
Whereas with other platforms, you’re always ‘fitting-in’ to their structure. You can’t change a hell of a lot on your Facebook page, you can’t pick and choose where you want things to show and how they should look.
A website gives you the ability to create your own look and feel, your own content, and your own layout. If you want something in a certain place, you can do it! If you want a big phone number that sticks out like a sore thumb, you can do it!
Another great thing about a website is you’re not one-click away from the competition. When your business is listed on other websites, you are always surrounded by your competition or just-as-worse, other distractions that may take away a potential customers attention from your business!
5. There is an ever-growing array of ways to educate your client / customer
With the availability of high-speed internet and 3G/4G internet for those on mobile, its now easier to access multimedia content on demand. While we commonly think of this as Netflix or Youtube perhaps, I’m more-so referring here to websites being able to use more captivating content such as videos and more vibrant user experiences.
Many websites have the capability of utilising different technologies like Live Chat, Webinars, Streaming and more interactive applications and tools. This way you you’re not just limited to some text and a few photos - you can really show-off your business with a website as if the prospect was in your shop for example or looking at samples with you in person.
Now, there are many more reasons but these are just a select few I tell people contemplating whether they should have a website or not.
Even if you’re flat-out with work and get plenty of business as it is - remember, when tough times hit (as they do in every economy), a website can be there giving you that extra exposure. I see too many businesses setting up websites when things get quiet - they’re then desperately trying to get new business! Make sure you have a good, effective website keeping your back!
