What about your business website and presence online?
Many small businesses have not yet a website and online presence. For counselors, therapists, dentists, lawyers, yoga teachers, and… the number of website-less is even higher. The reasons are almost always two deficiencies: money, time, or both. Even with a small business, you can attract customers online with a website.
Here are good reasons for a business website:
Present your offer correctly
An Internet presence requires that you first think intensively about the goods or services you want to offer. And that is sometimes more profound than the customers realize: For example, the local customers of a shoe store learn on the homepage that there are not only children’s shoes in the shop but also women’s shoes and accessories.
Advertise more effectively
What do you currently advertise? Do you include flyers or direct mailings? These media rarely catch the customer at the right time. If your customers find your small business online through Google, the chances are good that they have a specific request and hope to find a solution.
You can hardly advertise cheaper: Visitors who come through the average organic search, will not cost you a penny. Sure, setting up, running, and optimizing a customer attracting website requires an investment – but, it may be the best investment, see the next Reason.
Could you create the website or homepage yourself?
With the right software, a skilled person can create a website. There are website builders, and with content management systems, an experienced person who copes well with Word and Powerpoint can also create a homepage.
But you may not be skilled enough, and it is crucial to have a professional-looking website. It makes sense, in any case, to hire a trained web designer. Best is to inform yourself or ask colleagues for recommendations. Today, many relatively unskilled web designers are up to mischief, which at best do not cost much, but do not bring great results.
But you want to stand out with a professional-looking functional website which is the most powerful asset for your business. A website that attracts more customers.
Your customers can easily recommend you to others
If your product is right, your customers also will recommend you to others. In the online age, this increasingly happens via media such as e-mail, Facebook, or other social networks such as the classic forums. Without a website, nobody can link to you, and you renounce this rapidly growing and favorite recommendation channels.
Your customers will find you
If you regularly receive customers in your store or office, driving directions is extremely helpful. You can integrate Google Maps, which you can implement into your website and social media pages.
Answer frequent customer inquiries directly on the homepage
Presumably, you will spontaneously come up with two or three questions that you often hear from customers. Of course, it is helpful to talk to your customers, but you can probably better use your time than answer the same questions over and over again.
Simply answer these questions on the website, the Frequently Asked Questions section, For all other inquiries, you can provide a contact form. If you like to make phone calls, add your phone number.
Sell your products online
If you sell a product that can be shipped, there is often nothing wrong with offering it in an online shop. So you suddenly expand the number of your potential customers to the whole of your country or even worldwide if you want.
Also setting up an online store today is no more complicated than setting up an eBay auction. Of course, there are legal and logistical issues that you need to consider, but there is also some help available.
You can establish a dialogue with your customers
To retain your customers, it makes sense to communicate with them. And that does not have to be 1:1, but can also be done by newsletter, blog, Twitter or Facebook. Especially for freelancers it can be beneficial to run a blog and to position themselves as experts of the respective field. For example, in social media, or it may make sense to run a blog for branding.
It may be quite beneficial to overthink all the arguments again and get present in the online world. In our time, customers first use the internet to get information and find goods and services.
See also Digital Transformation is an Opportunity for every business.
Smallest business needs to be online because not only its the need of the hour but also it is an opportunity to expand your business worldwide. An effective advertising plan with a great offer can turn the tables for any business.
Vashishtha Kapoor recently posted…Indoleads Review | Top Affiliate Network in Asia
This is right, Vashishtha,
it is an opportunity to expand. More and more people look first what is available online and search for things or services they need.
Whoever is not present online will be forgotten.
Thanks for your comment
Hi Erika,
No matter what business one is in, it is imperative that they have an online presence. In today’s world that’s how people find each other. This is how we can gain information and make a decision as to who we will go with from a yoga teacher to a doctor. I always look for a website when I need to do business with just about anyone.
-Donna
Right, Donna
I too look first online for business or service and today most people do this.
For me, it is sometimes frustrating to find the right business in our region.
Many are not yet present online. Sometimes when I found a good business, the next time when I need it, it is disappeared.
Most of them would do much better with a good website and information about their services.
Thank you for your comment
Erika
Great article Something l am interested in creating sites.
Hi Kathryn,
yes, it is necessary for many businesses in our region to have good functioning websites.
Many could have better business.
Thank you
I find myself frustrated when a business does not have an online presence. This is the main way that I research companies. I find it especially shortsighted when a restaurant does not have a website.
Elise L Ho recently posted…Feta & Watermelon Salad Recipe
Yes, Elise
I too get sometimes frustrated when I search for a service or business.
You are right restaurant should have also a website, especially these days
people want to know if there are vegan or vegetarian options.
I see in our region many open and disappear again. An online presence would
help them to do better.
Thank you for your comment
Erika
Great post!
We are in the era of technology and the online presence of any business/brand is the key to promote and letting people know about it. No business can achieve its targets without online presence. Thank you for sharing an informative article.
Aaliya,
you are right in the digital era an online presence is crucial for every business.
Thank you for your visit and comment.
Erika
I’m always surprised when businesses don’t have any online presence, it’s where their customers are after all!
Hazel recently posted…A guide to Google search algorithm updates (and what they mean for your website)
Hazel,
I too wonder sometimes, this is why I came to write this article.
In our time being present online is necessary.
Thank you for your comment
Erika
Hazel, I tried to comment on your site but it did not let me submit it.
It said: Access Denied – Sucuri Website Firewall
Here my comment: Hi Hazel,
thank you for your detailed post full of helpful information. I did not know that we can have such a nice featured snipped.
Good to know what it takes to do to get one.
Thank you
Erika
Hi Erika,
I notice a growing trend that small businesses are relying on having a Facebook page as their website. The problem with this is that Facebook can shut your page down and you have lost all your content and followers. This happened to me – and they gave me no clue as to what I had done wrong. It was especially annoying as I had used Facebook advertising to attract people to the page.
Another thing I find sad is when a business has a tab on their website that says “Blog” – I click on it and it’s empty 🙁
Joy Healey – Blogging After Dark
Joy Healey recently posted…Automatic List Building From Your Blog
Hi Joy,
Sorry for the late reply 🙂
You are right, many have only Facebook Pages which can disappear. I can imagine how annoying your experience was.
It is a lot of work to get an audience and also costs money.
An empty blog tab is also not good for business. I think a website with a blog is best to showcase the servise and knowledge of the business. There is still a lot to do and improve because everybody looks in the digital era first on the internet for service, shopping or business.
Thank you for your comment and your shared experience.
Erika
Hello Erika,
Well what i think each & every business to come online because through online you can reach to a large number of audience and that to at a quick speed, hoping what you are selling is go great use to the end user. Online platform gives your business to reach doors fo each houses because today there is boom in digitalisation.
Thanks for sharing your time.
Rahul From MightyThemes
Hi Rahul,
It is true, with the digitalization every business can reach the house of the customer and this worldwide.
Even exercise does not need a gym anymore and can be done with online courses.
It is amazing and even small businesses really need to transform and go online.
Thank you for your comment
Erika
Agreed on all levels Erika. I dig these reasons. I went online from day 1 so my small business was always an online business. But if offline, I would buy a domain and hosting to access this rich world of opportunities. Everybody cruises the web via phone and laptop so better be online to capitalize on this common habit.
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
Yes good, you were online from day one, maybe this is how the business of the future generation will be.
I was more thinking of local business, I see coming and disappear again. You are right everyone first looks on the web.
There is still a lot of change needed and also the local business has to adapt to be able to survive.
Thank you for your insights and comment
and sorry for the late reply
Erika
Hi Erika,
Thank you for breaking this down so well. You are right and I couldn’t agree more with what you mentioned here. Every business, may it be big or small requires an online presence to succeed, particularly in this time and age. As more and more people use the internet to make transactions or acquire goods/services, the relevance of having a website is increasing as well. With the use of social media platforms, an online presence can be maximised. Keep posting! It’s great to read informative posts every day.
Freddie Webber recently posted…Business Lawyer in Sydney | Australian Trading in a Nutshell
Hi Freddie Webber,
It is right many businesses could do much better if they would invest in digital marketing.
I did write about because I myself often are looking for goods or services and can not get information.
Also, I see in my region here businesses opening and closing after a short time. Investing in a proper
online presence would help. I saw some who did and their business skyrocket.
There is still lots to be done.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Erika
Nowadays, online businesses are very effective. If you started an online business you can attract so many customers throughout the world. I have also started an online business and getting so much traffic. I would also suggest your get a digital business card, as it is unique and better for branding.
Elena Wilson recently posted…Top 10 Pop Culture Business Card References of All Time
Hi Elena,
Right, since the world is locked down, online business flourishes. Good for you that you started and get good traffic.
This card may be useful for some businesses, but I have no need for it as I am not interested in branding.
Thank you for your comment
To your success
Erika
Thanks for the information! Online presence is important, because your competition is probably building an online presence. Even where there are less-than-kind reviews or comments, you can reach out to unhappy customers and resolve the issue so that your good name stays intact.
Marcel recently posted…BigBasket Clone – Grocery Delivery App And Website Solution
Hello Erika. Great blog.
I also think that small businesses which are already thriving offline should start building their online presence. It doesn’t necessarily have to be some creative content on them all the time if it’s not demanding for the business but there should be alignment in the visual presentation of your business on different social media accounts. This helps in creating a brand identity.
Thanks
Ella
Hi Ella,
You are right, having different social media accounts, helps to showcase a business and attract customers.
Thank you for your comment
Erika