A question we get asked very often, “why does my business need a website?”. If you’re reading this then you too are wondering whether your business needs a website and if it does, why does it?
The fact is that small or large, ANY business can benefit from having a website. Clearly, an eCommerce business will NEED a website but even a small local shop could find that opening a website to advertise their services will generate new business as well as encourage repeat business.
Here’s the scenario – you run a hair salon in Verwood, Dorset. At the time of writing there were 7 of these in Verwood. Your potential customer (let’s call her Sally), does a quick trawl through her favourite search engine and can see these businesses listed. The only way you can possibly compete with the other 6 is to have a prominent place amongst the top businesses and the only way this is going to happen is with a keyword-rich website and a decent amount of links pointing to your site. Without these, you don’t stand a chance in the Information Age.
Do you close late on some days? Are you open on Sundays? These are potential deal-breakers that could turn a prospective customer into a paying customer. But how are people expected to know about your extended opening times? Your website should be your source of information 24 hours a day. Whether you want to tell people you’re opening early or closing late, this information can be broadcast so everyone can see and you don’t get any disappointed customers.
Getting your business listed with Google Maps is quick, free and easy. It takes a few weeks to verify your listing but once listed, it’s there for good (just keep it up to date). Use your Google Places listing, not as an alternative to a website, but as a supporting feature. You can use your listing to post your website address, postal address, telephone number, a company description and even post pictures and YouTube links.
Our Website Design packages start from just £550 and includes everything you need to get started on your journey into the internet. Compare this to the cost of publishing an advertisement in a newspaper – £60 for something that will probably end up in the bin? With a website you can provide an almost unlimited amount of words, pictures and other files for your customers to see.
You’re the best of what you do in your area but how do you customers know this? I for one would be much happier visiting a place I’ve never been to before if I can read up on some of their reviews. Having your business listed on an external review centre such as freeindex.co.uk will also have a positive hit on your Search Engine Results!
Your website can easily accommodate a newsletter subscription form. Something simple, with just an email address request box will suffice. The customer completes the box, you receive an email and add it to your database. The next time you send our an email newsletter, they get included! Email newsletters are free, easy and targeted marketing. These are big words in the advertising world.