In today’s modern age, the Internet has become a go-to resource for those looking to purchase a product or service. Many small businesses often fail to see the immense benefit of establishing themselves online and risk missing out on valuable opportunities. An optimised and well-designed website can significantly contribute to the growth and success of your small business. You need to be doing more than just sharing posts on social media. Let’s discuss why every small business needs a website and the steps you can take to get one!
Increased visibility
The most prominent reason why every small business needs a website is because of the wider audience they can reach. If you’re operating out of a small town in East Sussex, it’s likely that only the people in the very local area will know of your existence. With various search engine optimisation techniques, that we can assist you with, you can increase the likelihood of being discovered by anyone around the world! While this may not necessarily be a huge advantage to every small business, a more tailored set of techniques can be used to get you found in your county.
This increase in visibility can lead to more website traffic and ultimately more business for you!
Google Business Profile
Make sure you are fully set up here – or we can do it for you!
Then you can link your website to this and hopefully be seen much more often. How many people wouldn’t look at your profile if there is no website attached? I know we possibly wouldn’t. You would always click on a link where all the information is complete. Plus you can add in offers and services that link to your new website as well – it really is a no-brainer!
Increased sales opportunities
If you are actually selling a product, then having an online store integrated into a website could be perfect for you. Small businesses can then expand their sales opportunities beyond their physical location. An E-commerce website enables customers to make purchases conveniently from anywhere, leading to increased sales and revenue. By reaching a wider customer base, small businesses can tap into new markets and grow.
Building relationships
For most people, your website will be the first point of contact for your business. Giving off the right first impression is a fantastic way to build relationships with clients and boost your reputation. A beautiful website that is easy to use can be a great tool for establishing trust. Regularly updated content like blogs or case studies build the groundwork for a financial transaction to occur.
People are vigilant when shopping online. There are so many horror stories of people being scammed or products not arriving. A trustworthy website might just be the thing that turns a potential client into a regular. People have to gauge the trustworthiness of your small business. An inadequate, one page or dated website may be conveying the wrong message to customers, forcing them to go elsewhere.
It allows you to compete
Getting a great looking and well developed website is the first step towards putting your business in an environment to thrive. It allows you to promote your products or service, grow with you, build credibility and stand out from the competition. If you’re not on the internet these days, you’re missing out on a huge amount of opportunities, even from loyal customers.
Insights and analytics
Websites provide valuable insights and analytics that can help you make informed decisions referring to your business. Through tools like Google Analytics (soon to be GA4) businesses can track website traffic, user behaviour, conversion rates and many other insights. These insights and data points can help you adapt and improve your marketing strategies and optimise your products or service.
Showcasing products or services
A website has the ability to let small businesses showcase a variety of products or services in a visually appealing and informative manner. By including high-quality images and detailed descriptions a business can effectively communicate the items they offer. Think of your website like a condensed showroom, encouraging potential customers to make a purchase.
The best part is, you don’t even need to have a successful shop on the high street to have a successful website!
What website is suitable for a small business?
Having a website is no longer optional for small businesses—it is a necessity. In order to see substantial growth, a small business must embrace the power of the Internet. Here at Sokada, we offer two different types of websites; a Foundation Site and a Growth Development Site.
Our Foundation Sites are for those who have just started a new business or want to bring their existing site up to scratch. These Sites use a great structure that is predeveloped. We will take your logo, brand colours and content, and then incorporate them into a new website that perfectly suits your business. With our bespoke Growth websites, we will work with you with our planning and design team to create a look that’s totally unique to you.
Do note that neither of our websites just uses a theme downloaded from the internet. Our smaller websites are built using code that our developers have written themselves. This ensures that your website is fast, efficient, and will be SEO-friendly.
Point people to your website on Social Media
Having a website where you showcase your services and products also gives you somewhere to link to on social media. Getting potential new customers onto your website is just the start. Add links where you can, to your relevant posts and hopefully that will lead people to click for more information. Then you can show them everything you offer, which will hopefully lead to new work. This isn’t rocket science – if you have a great website with loads of good info on it, then you need people to see it!
Want to discuss a website with us?
Hopefully, we have highlighted some of the reasons why every small business needs a website in this blog. If you would like to get in touch to discuss some more about websites for small businesses; get in touch by calling 01435 817226 or email enquiries@sokada.co.uk. If you’d like to get an idea of the work we are capable of feel free to take a look at our Instagram or some of Our Work.
We would be more than happy to discuss your business needs and ambitions.