If you want your business to be competitive in the digital age, you need to invest in a good website. Dont settle for any run-of-the-mill website made by some inexperienced developer with a cheap price tag, and definitely not something thats hosted on a free hosting account.
People have great expectations regarding what theyll see and experience online. Thus, the look-and-feel of your website is very important!
Not yet convinced? Here are four reasons why a quality website is a must for your business:
1. It provides another entry point for consumers to know about your business.
Digital shopping is a frequent activity for many consumers today. Most of their time is spent online rather than in actual brick-and-mortar stores or establishments.
If you want to stay on their radar, your website should be able to give your business proper exposure across online channels. A good website is able to present products, services, and store locations neatly. At the very least, it can raise awareness regarding your brand beyond what the usual business card, flyer, and brochure can reach.
2. You can spot and keep loyal customers around the world.
People who surf the Web generally have a short attention span. They wont invest their time on a website thats too generic or doesnt immediately inform them of what they need.
Because they can easily browse through billions of web pages available online, your company website must be able to capture their interest within a matter of seconds. A website with a good user interface and visual identity separates you from the rest of the crowd. Investing in a unique, yet still user-friendly browsing experience will naturally entice more customers to flock to your business.
3. A properly designed website helps demonstrate your business position as an authority.
Digitally-savvy consumers usually search for information and reviews online before deciding to buy a product. They usually dont even attempt to test the product as long as the testimonials are solid.
But since so much subpar and fake content has flooded into peoples daily feeds, customers have become extremely suspect of everything they see online. Anything that hints towards low quality, such as a suspect web domain or poor language use, may be a red flag for potential customers.
A professionally designed website is key if you want to maintain your companys reputation as a leading expert in its own industry.
4. They allow business operations to scale from physical to digital.
Unlike physical stores, your website never sleeps. Aside from monthly hosting fees, you rarely have to pay anything to keep it running.
A good website is akin to having a customer service channel that runs 24/7. Not much micromanagement is needed on your end, as most of the processes are automated. In most cases, you wont even need to hire a virtual assistant as you can simply dump all the work on bots and online platforms.
So if you want people to find your business or buy your products as you sleep, a fully functional and integrated website should be on your priority list.
How Do I Get Started?
Heres a quick checklist of what youll be needing before you can launch your own website:
* Domain Name
* Hosting
* Business Email
* Website Building Platform
* Web Design/Template
Its best to do some research on each, as prices can vary depending on whether you do everything yourself or hire a developer to assist you. As a rule of thumb for those without experience, you can work on the first three requirements by yourself since these elements depend on your budget rather than technical skill.
For the latter two, its best to work with an experienced web developer since they can easily implement good design that translates into an immersive user experience. But if you happen to be knowledgeable in both front and back end development, feel free to customize your website to your liking. If anything else, you should focus on the last two elements the most.