Why is a web page important for your company?
A website complements your business
Modern life is characterised not only by technological advancement, but the speed of change. Despite this fact, it’s common to find owners and managers of both small and larger companies who have hesitated to launch their businesses in the digital world. Perhaps you have heard the following arguments:
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Setting up a website is too expensive
[if !supportLists]• [endif]It’s a scam/rip-off
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Websites are useless
[if !supportLists]• [endif]I’ve never needed a website before
[if !supportLists]• [endif]I don’t see the need
These are the most common catch-cries of business leaders who do not understand the potential of implementing digital tools such as a web page for their business.
If you are one of them, read on to find out why a webpage should be the centre of your marketing strategy, or, if you know someone whose business would benefit from a web page, make their life a little easier and share this blog with them.
A digital platform or web page, linked to a marketing and sales strategy will:
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Create an online presence for your business
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Grow consumer confidence in your brand
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Increase search engine positioning
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Provide a point of contact for customers
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Sell your products and services
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Increase the value of your business
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Provide ROI - Return of Investment on your marketing campaigns
In basic terms, a website tells the world what you do, how you do it, and allows your customers to find you and purchase or engage your services.
A website gives your business credibility
Whether through browsing, searching, or fact-checking; in this day and age, the first point of contact is the web. If you don’t have a website, your business is not only invisible, it lacks credibility. To know if a business is real, it must be searchable; to be deemed credible and reliable, it must have user reviews. Even if you have no current online presence - if you are a digital ‘no-body’, don’t worry, it’s never too late to become a ‘somebody.’
A website is a point of contact and a sales channel
An advantage of the digital era is that it has dismantled geographical and language barriers, giving your business ever more opportunities to expand and grow your market. A website:
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Is globally accessible
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Is always open for information and trade
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Allows your customers to get to know your brand at their leisure
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Positions you as a trustworthy supplier of goods and services
Not only will a website give you a wider reach to the market place, but it allows your customers to interact with your business anytime, from anywhere. Who doesn’t like the prospect of making money while they sleep?
Making it easy for your customers to find you
Establishing an online presence is the first and vital step. The next step is to make it easy for your customers - existing and potential - to find you. The digital marketplace is large. It has been found that Google processes 3.5 billion searches per day, which amounts to 40,000 searches per second, and the numbers continue to grow. How then can you attract consumers’ attention and promote your site above all others within your crowded niche of the marketplace? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the key to bringing your website to the top of the list - outshining your competitors. A high-ranking SEO boasts:
[if !supportLists]• [endif]a greater online presence
[if !supportLists]• [endif]greater social influence
[if !supportLists]• [endif]more web traffic and
[if !supportLists]• [endif]higher quality interactions
A savvy business will support their brand with a strategic social media plan to increase their visibility and traffic to the website. This approach is called integrated marketing.
Growing your value in the market
To truly optimise your results you must become a reference of value in the market. This means that your website must contain content that is desired and valuable to your clientele. Three key ingredients to make your website valuable are: context, contact and relevance.
When your website contains content that meets the needs and desires of your customer:
[if !supportLists]• [endif]You demonstrate knowledge and expertise
[if !supportLists]• [endif]The reader gains confidence in your brand
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Your business is personally recommended by satisfied customers
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Your social media following grows
[if !supportLists]• [endif]More traffic and sales are attracted to your website
By this time, you are experiencing Return on Investment (ROI). Your brand has achieved an acceptable search engine ranking, you have become a known expert in your field, your customers recommend you to their wider circles and they naturally come to you for goods and services.
From one success to the next
The key factor to keeping your brand fresh and relevant to your market is constant evolution. Technology and marketing methods are constantly updating, so keep your business dynamic by keeping up with the times. In other words, don’t be a dinosaur. The secret to not only keeping up with the market but to lead it is through:
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Website administration
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Up-to-date software and tools
[if !supportLists]• [endif]New and relevant content uploaded every week
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Hosting campaigns and offers that engage your customers, and
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Gathering information to better understand your market
Still have doubts about whether you need a web page for your business?
