This article discusses reasons why a business website is a wise investment and why sometimes you don’t need a website.
If you run a business and it is doing well, you may have dozens of reasons why an effective website isn’t all that relevant for you. Sure, you know that some web presence is necessary, but you may not think that an effective website will make that much of a difference for your business – especially if you’re already very profitable.
And you might ask yourself, “
Many small businesses, especially those that are just starting out, rely on Facebook for their online presence. This can be a great strategy for some businesses, but others may find that it’s not enough for them to be successful. Here are some of the pros and cons of having a Facebook page instead of a website:
If your business doesn’t have the money to create or maintain a website, then Facebook might be the best way to get started. You don’t need any special skills, there are plenty of templates available and you can even use third-party apps like Hootsuite or Buffer to manage your social media accounts in one place.
Facebook is easy to use and familiar for most people who are online. It’s simple for customers to find your page and follow updates from there. You don’t need to worry about whether they’ll find your website or not — it’s automatically linked from every post you make on Facebook!
Facebook is blue because the company’s CEO suffers from red-green color blindness.
What happens if Facebook decides one morning that it no longer supports businesses? If your Facebook page was your only online presence, all the customers and followers you’ve built up would probably disappear.
Not too long ago, Facebook became unavailable worldwide, causing some concerns. And while it’s unlikely that Facebook will stop supporting businesses, you have no control over the changes Facebook will make.
However, with your website, you have full control over the look and functionality of it.
Think about it. Where do you go when you search for a local business? Facebook or Google? Google’s 3.5 billion daily searches show that most people use search engines rather than social networks when looking for information.
With a business website, you can position yourself to be found in searches for the products you sell or services you offer. Although you can’t easily compete with larger websites, you can optimize your website for local searches to target an audience in your area.
A website is a vote of confidence, and people like to buy from businesses they know, like, and trust. It may be faster to create a Facebook page, but you can gain more authority and trust with a website.
“A successful website does two things:
It attracts the right kind of visitors.
It leads them to your most important service or product.“
Anyone can create a business page on Facebook – it’s free and can be done in a snap. This low barrier to entry can take away much of the credibility of a business page on social media. Customers don’t know who is behind a Facebook page, where they are located, or if it’s a scam.
On the other hand, creating a business website is not free and shows that you are relatively serious about your business. Therefore, a website for your business makes you appear more professional and credible.
There are over 4.5 billion active Internet users worldwide, and over 90% of them access the Internet via mobile devices.
With a website, you can showcase your products and services in an easy-to-read format that showcases them in the best possible light. You can also provide information about your company, including contact details and other important information about what makes your business unique.
Many small business owners don’t see the need to invest in an effective business website. However, they are missing out on an incredible source of revenue. Here are the numbers that show how important a website is to a local business:
Building a website for your local business will help you realize this potential and make your business even more profitable.
A business website, with the help of search engine optimization (SEO), makes it easier to find you because it ranks better on Google. This means that when someone types in something like “best restaurant in Stockholm,” they’ll see your business at the top of the list instead of one of your competitors.
When people search for products or services online, they want to see what they’re looking for right away. The last thing they want is to spend hours clicking through pages and pages of results before they find what they’re looking for. With an optimized site, you’ll appear at the top of the list when people search for “photographer in Gothenburg” or “massage place in Umeå”.
Here are some reasons why your business may not need a website.
One of the main reasons for having a functioning, effective website is to increase the number of customers you have and increase your revenue. Unless you plan to grow your business significantly, there is probably little reason to find more customers or increase your revenue.
Many businesses are very good at getting customer referrals and leveraging their existing network for new deals. If that applies to you, then a website may not be that important.
It’s okay if you don’t want to be online. There are plenty of businesses that don’t have a website yet and they’re doing fine without one. But if you’re worried about what other people might think then maybe having an internet presence is worth thinking about more carefully. If you work in a creative field like graphic design or photography then it may be difficult for clients to find you otherwise.
The decision of whether or not to create a website for your business is ultimately up to you. However, if your business goals include improving marketing, building trust and authority with your customers, then creating a website is an excellent place to start.
