Does your business need a website?

You live in a digital era. Your brand should too.

Are websites necessary for everyone or just for some? Does your business even need a website?

Maybe you’re thinking about creating a website for your business but you are still unsure or you already have one but you don’t see the need for one anymore and would rather stop paying to have a website that is not even being viewed. Perhaps you think your business doesn’t need a website but will keep reading this blog post out of curiosity.

If your business doesn’t have a website and/or think your business doesn’t need one, consider this: You might be right and not need one, but have you thought about what you are missing by not having one?

You are missing out!

Let me give you 5 reasons why having a website is important for your business:

Your business’s information is available 24/7
A website shows your information (services, products, prices, schedule, etc) all day, every day. This means clients can research your business on their time. This makes it easier for them to know if you have what they are looking for. With a physical store, they only have a limited timeframe to do their research (this also includes email, text, and social media messages). With a website, all the information they need is already (and should be) there.

You are in control
Social Media is another great way to have your business online but you have to abide by their rules. Social media cares about itself and will change the rules that best benefit THEM. Not to mention you are competing with more brands. Your website is only about you. You set up your own rules. You are in charge of having and maintaining your business online.

Clients see what you want them to see
Are you having a special sale? Show it to your clients as soon as they visit your website. Do you want them to click a specific button? Help them get there. You can guide your clients to go where you want them to go and help them make an action you want them to take.

Have an advantage
Does your competition have a website? No? Great! It’s the perfect time to make one before them. If they DO have one, what are you waiting for? Clients should know about your business first.

Your business on your client’s hands
Everyone uses a phone now. Having a website makes sure that they have you right in their hands. Why wait for them to make time for your business when they can be making a decision right there on their phones? (See why available information 24/7 is important?)

Besides being important, having a website also has its benefits:

Exposure
A website is a perfect place to show off your best work. Architect? Display your renders. Doctor? Display your studies and successes. Restaurant? Show off your place and menu. Event planner? Show us some photos of your events. Selling a service? Exhibit your achievements and results. Selling products? Show them to us. Post everything on your website and share them on your social media.

Professional email address
When you buy your domain, you usually get an email address. Instead of sharing an email like mybusiness@gmail.com, share one with a nicer tone like hello@yourbusiness.com. It looks nicer and more professional.

Sell 24/7
If you want to sell during those hours that your shop is closed, an e-commerce website is a must. Why only sell from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm when you can be selling all day long?

Credibility
Having a website makes your business more official. Remember we live in an age where everything is online and everyone expects everything to be online. Putting yourself and your business on the digital map creates more credibility.

“You live in a digital era.
Your brand should too.”

What do you think? Are you considering having a website for your business now?

If you are, start here:

Get a domain name
The domain is the name of your website — www.yourbusiness.com, for example. To buy one, just search for websites that sell domain names and see if the name is available. You can also get creative with the domain extension. Instead of buying a .com domain, you can have fun and choose something like .art, .media, or .events. One of our clients got a .fun domain and we love it because it goes perfectly with their brand.

Get a hosting
This is where your website will be stored. Just like buying a domain, you need to search for websites that sell hosting plans. Most of these companies already offer both products. We like Hostinger (affiliate link).

Quick Tip: When choosing a hosting plan, look for one that will give you an SSL Certificate and enough space that won’t affect the loading speed of your website.

Start Designing
If you are a small business, buying a template is a great way to start. But if you are a bigger company or you already have a website, look away. Your brand and your clients deserve better. Your website needs to be personalized to your user’s needs and a template won’t give you that. If you want your website to work, you need at least a basic strategy.

Your clients should have a great experience when navigating your website. If their experience is bad, they won’t come back, or even worst, they will stop trusting you. Your website is a part of your brand.