11 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Website
Maybe you’ve avoided it completely, or maybe you’re just procrastinating— but there are so many reasons why your business needs a website!
It provides you with valuable data, expands your internet reach, controls what your audience sees, and it’s an integral part of your digital marketing strategy. Keep reading to learn the 11 key benefits that make the work you’ll put into building your website so worth it.
Tips to fine-tune your strategy today
Get data-driven marketing insights and exclusive resources right to your inbox.
Don’t just market more. Market better. Get exclusive access to resources and insights that introduce you to the once-confusing world of data-backed marketing.
Reason #1 It establishes your internet presence
Real talk: it’s the 21st century, which means it’d be hard to find a business not using the internet to connect with their customers.
People pretty much expect to see an online presence — especially when it comes to businesses — and they’re more likely to hire you if you have a credible and professional website. Your clients are also looking to your website (which they trust more than Google) for contact information, hours of operation, reviews, awards, and so much more. So featuring up-to-date, legitimate information is non-negotiable!
Reason #2 It gives you complete control
Your website is one of the only platforms you have 100% control over (the other being your email marketing). Within your own site, you’re not subject to an algorithm or other external influences. Plus, you can change the design and layout as much as you want.
You have full control over exactly how your information is presented and what you want to include. You can put your testimonials and reviews where you want, you can showcase whichever products you want, and you can choose which offerings you want featured.
Reason #3 It makes you look professional & credible
Your website is often one of the first branded impressions you’ll give your potential clients, so it’s an opportunity to flex and show them how professional you are. Use effective, on-brand messaging and showcase your expertise to make sure your site is as legitimate and authoritative as you are!
Reason #4 It’ll help you gain new customers with SEO
People turn to Google to find businesses just like yours. So when someone searches “physio clinic near me” you want to be sure that you’re near the top of the listings. Thing is, you can only make this happen if you have a website!
There are so many different ways you can use your website to improve your SEO. Things like using the right keywords, keeping your content fresh, and making sure your website is easy to navigate don’t just help new customers find you— they also increase the chance they’ll keep returning to your site (and push you up the Google search rankings by association!).
It’s also good to know that Google will favour your local businesses when people are searching for options in your area. This is especially true when they search on mobile.
Reason #5 It helps to build your brand
Your visual content may be what initially attracts people to your business, but similarities in your values are what will make them trust you and stay. People want to buy from businesses that align with their values and speak to them.
In a study done by Sprout Social about what makes a brand stand out, 33% of consumers said they valued personality and 32% said storytelling. We recommend crafting a brand voice targeted to your ideal client, and using your website as a tool to speak directly to them— building relationships and connections in the process.
Reason #6 It’ll expand your social media reach
Some business owners don’t think they need a website because they have an established presence on Facebook or Instagram. If this is you, listen in!
The problem with only being on social media is that those platforms simply aren’t sustainable as far as marketing goes. They don’t give you full control. If they were to make an algorithm change tomorrow (which is possible with the constantly shifting social media scene!), you could risk having only a fraction of your content seen by your audience. If the platform went dark for a week, you’d have no way of reaching anyone. And, if they decided to move to more of a “pay to play” model as Facebook has done, your business and its bottom line could be seriously impacted.
Thankfully, you own your website. On your site, algorithms don’t rule the day, and as long as your content isn’t harmful, no one can block your content from being seen by readers.
Reason #7 It reaches users on mobile devices
Some business owners avoid creating a website because they feel that their audience isn’t using computers anymore— that they’re opting for smartphones instead.
And while yes, it’s definitely true that many people are using their phones to surf these days, it’s important to realize that smartphones are computers! So if anything, your audience is using a computer more, not less. And even though they’re spending time on social, they’re definitely still using Google and visiting websites.
A mobile-responsive website makes you super-accessible. It lets you expand your reach and better serve those who do interact with you on social when they want to get in touch or learn more from you than they can in a bite-sized post.
Reason #8 It provides you with valuable data & analytics
You can collect so much data and information from a website, and you can use that info to see what’s working well for you and what’s not— which will ultimately save you from wasting tons of marketing dollars on less-than-perfect efforts.
Track things like:
- Which channels are actually driving revenue
- Which country most of your website visitors are coming from
- Which pages on your site or blog your audience spends the most (or the least) time on
Once you have this valuable information, you can prioritize marketing tactics to focus on and get yourself better results.
Pro Tip: Make sure you have Google Analytics installed and set up on your site!
Reason #9 It showcases your products and services
The more steps you make someone take to buy from you or book with you, they less likely they are to actually do it.
A solid website considers the user experience (UX), and doesn’t make visitors work any harder than they absolutely have to in order to make a purchase. Improving UX could mean including social proof (like reviews and testimonials) on sales pages, or streamlining payments to remove barriers to purchasing from you.
If you’re only operating your business on a social media platform, you simply can’t optimize your products and services for your user. They’ll have to scroll and scroll (and scroll) to find what they’re looking for. A website is the perfect solution!
Reason #10 You can customize experiences for different audiences
If you have a few different target audiences that need different things from you, you can use your website to serve them all well. For example, we recommend seeing if you can build out distinct pages that speak directly to your separate audiences, so they get the information they need, without having to sift through the content for everyone else.
Remember that the easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to convert!
Reason #11 It lets you streamline your marketing
A marketing strategy works best when all of the different activities work together, rather than operating in distinct silos. By hosting your blog, linking to your social platforms, acting as a landing page for ads, and capturing email subscriptions, your website pulls all the pieces of your marketing puzzle together.
It’s website time!
Now that we’ve convinced you why your business needs a website, let’s tackle the how!
Get data-driven marketing insights and exclusive resources right to your inbox.
Don’t just market more. Market better. Get exclusive access to resources and insights that introduce you to the once-confusing world of data-backed marketing.
