Most large establishments now operate their own website. However, smaller businesses have only recently decided to catch up, according to survey results. What was behind their misgivings? Let’s look at their misconceptions below.
Myths About Having a Website
- Only e-commerce business owners need a website.
Websites aren’t only for brick-and-mortar establishments that want to open a version of their store online. Professionals in the construction, plumbing, medical, and other sectors can set up a website to broadcast their operations and service offers. A restaurant website is essential for every restaurant owner who wants to increase revenue by taking online orders.
- My business is so small, Facebook is all I need.
While Facebook is a great engagement tool, it’s not enough if you want your local business to be discoverable on the Internet. Crawlers of search engines like Google scour primarily through websites to find answers for keywords and voice searches.
- Building a website is expensive.
Website builders allow you to build a site on your own at reasonable prices. Also, outsourcing the job through a web design team that can create a website for a small business owner has now become more affordable than ever.
- A website is a brochure.
Unlike a brochure or flyer, a website isn’t just made up of static pages filled with details and pictures of your products and previous projects. You can use websites to ask for feedback, conduct surveys, and invite customers to events through a messaging or chatbot feature. Moreover, you can build trust for your company by regularly publishing fresh content that’s relevant to your target audience’s needs.
Reasons for Setting Up a Small Business Website
So why do you need a website if you’re just a small business? Here are some thoughts to consider:
- It boosts your online visibility and ranking.
As mentioned earlier, search engines use crawlers that browse the internet. They gather information from websites’ public pages to offer the most relevant results to users. Your business’s social media pages can turn up in some searches but having a website in the mix allows you to maximize your digital marketing efforts. By optimizing your content, you can achieve a high ranking on Google and other search engines.Visibility and ranking become important amid the growing trend of patronizing local businesses. Just last year, over 90% of American consumers went online to search for a local business, with 73% of respondents conducting local searches weekly. - It legitimizes your business.
Because we live in the digital age, consumers expect your business to appear on the web. In fact, more than 60% of small businesses have a website. Running a secure, professional site with social proof and complete company information increases your credibility. This is useful, as 70% to 80% of consumers scrutinize and research a company online before buying products. - It’s a marketing channel where you can own the narrative.
Social media comments are out of your control. But with a website, you’re in charge of the reviews section. Feedback can impact a business’s reputation, with almost 80% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as recommendations by loved ones. Meanwhile, 82% say they’re likely to transact with a business with positive feedback.Besides selecting positive feedback and testimonials, you can post blogs and company updates on your site to help reinforce an inspiring image for your business. - It allows you to win new customers and improve sales.
With a website, you have an online presence available 24/7. You can showcase what your business offers. At the same time, consumers can discover more about your company and its offerings through FAQ pages, chatbots and live chats, or email subscriptions. Prompt and responsive engagement can encourage sales.Setting up an e-commerce website allows you to monitor which products are enjoying high sales. This will help you ensure you have enough stocks of these products. Or you can explore or develop related products for a more diversified line.
Tap Experts for Your Dream Website
Hiring a web design company that can create a website for your small business is a smart investment considering the following statistics:
- 75% of consumers say their view of a company’s credibility is affected by its website design.
- 90% of shoppers can leave a site due to slow loading time.
- 60% of consumers are “not likely” to or will “never” shop again with a company after one poor experience on a website or other platform.
- 30% of mobile shoppers left a website because it wasn’t mobile-friendly.
To avoid facing the above issues, website development is better left in the hands of professionals who can address both the design and technical aspects of the job.
How to Find an Affordable Web Design Team
Before selecting a company to create your site, you need to:
- List your website goals.
Know what you want your website to do. This will determine the features your web design team will incorporate on your site. For instance, you may want to make your site eCommerce or add a chat, call, or map widget. - Determine your budget and scope of work.
The cost will depend on the number of pages your website will contain, and extra features such as e-commerce, chat widgets, etc. - Do an online search.
You can search “website for small business” or “affordable website” to help you find website builders or a web design team that specifically builds websites for small businesses at a reasonable price. - View their past work.
To help you gauge how a web design team will build your website, view their portfolio so that you can see the websites they have built for other companies.
Partner with 29dollarWebsites for a Responsive Website
29dollarwebsites.com can help you set up a responsive and credible site that will turn visitors into loyal customers. Visit their website today to learn more about the websites they create for small businesses.
