As a small business, do I need a website?
There’s an old saying, “Doing business without advertising is like doing business in the dark”.
With the advent of social media, many people ask if a website is still relevant. The short answer is yes! it is essential for small businesses, micro businesses and start-up to have a website.
As a small business, micro business or a start-up its important that you give some real consideration to your online identify or presence.
Websites serve multiple functions for businesses. For many businesses, a website is their core business. Without it, they would have no business at all.
Benefits of having a website
- A website provides legitimacy for your business
- Websites help advertise your business
- Having a website enhances and strengthens your brand
- A website provides prospective as well as existing clients and customers with information about your business, products and services
- An eCommerce website can serve as an automated point of sale where sales transactions are completed while you sleep
- Websites serve as teleportation devices which take your business to the ends of the earth and keep it local all at the same time
- Professionally built websites can enable small businesses and micro businesses compete with big businesses by leveling the playing field
Steve Jobs in an interview conducted by Bob Cringely in 1995
…the smallest company in the world can look as large as the largest company in the world on the web
Think about it. Most companies spend millions on brochures and leaflets. They then spend millions more on distributing them.
If a lot of your business is won through networking and personal connections, then they will want to check out your website. Nowadays checking a business’s website is something people do instinctively.
If you don’t have a website, you’ve just lost an opportunity.
Consumer behavior in the internet age
Another thing people instinctively do is check reviews of companies, products or services they wish to purchase.
Reviews serve as a way for people to reassure themselves. “If other people have purchased this and are happy with it, then it should be ok for me to purchase it too”.
As a small business, a website is your tool that helps you to satisfy some of the items raised above. So yes it is essential for small businesses, micro businesses and start-up to have a website.
The next question is where do you start? How can you get a website?
At BetaCode Digital we try and keep things simple so our clients know exactly what they will get and how much it costs.
Take a look at what we offer to help find the right solution for you.