Does My Business Need A Website?

If you think that your business doesn’t need a website, it’s time to think again. Your brand may be thriving on social media, you’re getting great engagement levels, attracting new followers and you have a presence on a number of platforms. Surely you don’t need a website too? People know where to find you on socials, don’t they? Having a website would be just another expense that you don’t need? Right?

Wrong. If your business doesn’t have its own website, then you are seriously missing out. Having a website for your brand is an absolute must to help your business grow and attract new customers. It really is a non-negotiable and here are just a few of the reasons why…

It makes your brand look professional

Think about it. The first thing that you probably do when you are interested in doing business with someone is go and check out their website. Customers expect you to have a website and, when they realise that you don’t, this is likely to impact their view of your brand in a negative way. It puts a question mark in their minds (why don’t you have a website? are you the real deal?) and unfortunately, it just makes you look less credible. Having a website helps to build trust with your customer base and it places your brand in a positive light.

You control your content

Whilst it’s great that your business is active on social media and you have established a loyal base of followers who like and share your content and perhaps even buy from you, the fact of the matter is that you are not in control of your content. The social media platform you’re using is.

Having your own website means that you are firmly in control of your own content, you’re not dependent on social media platforms and algorithms. The algorithms could change tomorrow, and you may find your likes and shares fall dramatically. You could find that next year Instagram is no longer the platform of your choice for your ideal client and everyone migrates to the latest trend, where you don’t have a presence. Worst-case scenario if your accounts were deleted tomorrow, you’d lose all of your content and followers overnight. If you have your own website, you don’t run the risk of this happening. You’re firmly in the driving seat when it comes to owning your content.

It’s the next step for your social audience

If you have a big following on social media, having a website for your business is the logical next step in the customer journey. If I was one of your followers on social media, what would be the next step for me as a customer? I’ve liked and shared your posts, engaged in the comments and that’s pretty much the end of the journey for me. Providing a link to your website in your Instagram bio or in the call to the action in your posts gives me a next step, another way to engage with your business by checking out your website and finding out in a bit more detail what you do. I might have a read of some of your blog posts or check out your testimonials. A website helps you build a relationship with your target audience and increases their engagement with your brand.

You’ll show up in a Google search

This is a simple but no less important point to make. If you don’t have a website, think of all the potential customers that you may be missing out on who are searching for a business just like yours via a search engine. If you’re a dog walker based in Essex, how much business are you missing out on from potential customers who are typing ‘dog walkers, Essex’ into Google? If you don’t have a website, you’re not going to be showing up in those searches.

Your competition has one

If you don’t have a website I can pretty much guarantee that your competition does. If you’re not sure, give them a quick Google search. If I was a potential new customer making the choice between two businesses, I guarantee that I’d go for the business that has a website. It looks more professional and, speaking as a customer, that reassures me.

It showcases your products and services

Having a website is a great way to showcase all of your products and services in one place. Whatever line of business you are in, your website is the place to really show off what you’re about and what you can offer customers. You can put your portfolio online if you’re a designer, have all of your testimonials in one place for customers to view, start a blog and, if you’re a product based business, have customers buy directly from you in an online store.

But before you go rushing out to put together a website for your brand, remember…

It’s the shop window for your business

Not only do you need to have a website for your brand, but it also needs to look, feel and sound professional. Your website really is the shop window for your business. It needs to be enticing and inviting for potential customers to want to explore. You need to take time to think about the branding and design elements of your website and I’d always recommend working with a professional web designer for this. Your website content really needs to engage and connect with your audience straight away. If it doesn’t, they’ll most likely click on something else instead.

If you’re still not convinced, let’s hear it from an expert…

I couldn’t write about the importance of having a website for your business without speaking to the fabulous Lauren Lynch, website designer at 33 Pixels. Lauren has put together some fabulous websites over the years and she knows better than anyone else why having a website for your brand is such an essential element of your content marketing plan…

‘What would you think if you Googled a company you wanted to do business with and nothing came up about them? Perhaps they are a genuine company, or could this be a scam? You might even wonder if you’ll even receive your product or service? Or question if you can rely on them to deliver?

Now think how you’d feel if you found a company on social media, gave them a quick Google or clicked through to their website and you found a beautifully designed website with their logo, the brand colours, images of the owner, products/services and customer reviews. How would you feel now? Full of confidence and willing to part with your money? 

This is why you need a website for your brand. Having a website encourages customers to trust in you and find out more about your company. A website doesn't need to cost a fortune and doesn't have to be constantly updated. But it will help drive revenue, build customer relationships and it opens you up to new customers that you wouldn't have reached via social media alone.’ 

To see how much a website will cost you can message Lauren directly at: https://33pixels.co.uk/letstalk

As well as having your website designed by a professional, working with a copywriter to provide the content for your site can really help to get potential customers engaging with your brand and lower your bounce rate. If you want to find out more about how Lemon Drop can help with your website copy, just check out my Services page or drop me an email. If you need help with your website design, I can thoroughly recommend 33 Pixels and you can get in touch with them via their website at: http://33pixels.co.uk/portfolio