Why don't small businesses have a website?

A study commissioned by Verisign found that nearly two-thirds of consumers believe that a business with a website is more credible than a business without one. Despite this, some small business owners choose not to have a website for a number of reasons, including:

• A limited budget (e.g. cannot afford website hosting or a web designer)
• Lack of technological knowledge or understanding of marketing strategy.
• Social media marketing meets your key business needs

However, simply having a website could put you one step ahead of your competition. A site is one more way to generate leads, revenue and overall value for your business.

1. Cultivate a professional web presence

Instead of just being the corner shop or the local business down the street, having a website, especially one with an attractive web design, gives the impression that you mean business and are ready to do business with all kinds of customers. After all, a well-made website can lead to business success.

2. Become an information resource

If your business is in a niche industry, having a website allows you to build your reputation as an authority in your field. Create a blog section with informative articles and link to them on your landing page.

3. Own your name

Creating a site and purchasing a domain name (e.g. www.business-example.com) helps to claim your company name. It is also a quick and easy way to enhance your brand identity.

You can also get a unique commercial email address that will add to that branding (e.g. sunombre@ejemplo-empresa.com). Many web hosting providers will include personalised email addresses as part of their offerings.

4. Improve SEO rankings

When you perform a search on sites such as Google, Bing or Yahoo, you will see a list of websites related to your search. You can apply many SEO (search engine optimisation) tactics to your website to improve your ranking in those search engines, helping to generate free traffic and sales. Boost SEO with new and useful content published in the blog section of your website.

5. Increase online leads

Increasing visits to your website is good, but gaining customers is even better. With a well-optimised and mobile-optimised website, you get potential customers to call, register or buy a product from your company. You can turn your website into a leading seller for your company.

6. Develop a mailing list

Once you have set up a website, add a form for people to sign up to your mailing list or newsletter. This will give you an easily accessible database of potential customers to advertise to. According to a 2020 study, 78 % of marketers considered email essential to the overall success of their business.

7. Save money on printing

Paper catalogues and brochures can still be useful in point-of-sale situations, but what if the item information changes? It is more efficient to have all relevant information on your website, where it will be much cheaper to edit and revise. A combination of print and web marketing materials is probably the most cost-effective way forward.

8. Tell your unique story

Having a web page on your site dedicated to a section such as "Company History" is a way to humanise your business. This is where being a small business can be an immediate strength.

Do you run a family business started by mum or dad? Has it been around for decades? Let people know and build their trust. Showing a sense of creativity and authenticity can be an advantage that larger companies will find difficult to replicate.

10. Create a new sales opportunity with mail order and e-commerce

If your company sells products that can be sent by post, consider investing in an e-commerce shop or an online shopping section for your website. Some companies will create this section for you.

You may be able to reach a whole new set of customers who do not live directly near your physical retail shops. Depending on the nature of your business, you may have the entire planet as potential customers.

11. Collecting customer data

You may have already estimated the average foot traffic at your physical location. However, a small business website gives you an idea of the wider reach of your digitally savvy business. If you have different web pages dedicated to the products or services you offer, you can use web visitor data to find which ones attract the most attention.

It's time to digitise your business, let's get in touch to make your business website a reality.