The question comes up a lot with our consultation with businesses regarding their websites.

You’re a small business owner.

You are doing fine.

People keep telling you, “get a website.”

Or you’ll have the cold-calls flooding in, introducing their web design services.

And yet, it’s something you never pursue.

And now you’re asking yourself.

“Do I really need to be online?”

The answer is yes.

We’ve heard it all.

“I’m no good with technology.”

“I have enough business coming in, we are booked up.”

The most honest one was:

“I know nothing about business and marketing mate. I’m a tradesman, I don’t care about all that stuff.”

And we get it.

Websites just sound like an headache.

But they don’t have to be.

And they can have a purpose.

Are you not convinced?

 

1. Position your business and define your target audience.

Let me introduce you to some of the science of marketing.

One lesson will allow you to see your marketing efforts in a new perspective.

Marketing is about positioning.

That’s it.

It’s all about where you position yourself in the market.

Put some thought into the following:

• Where do you want to focus in the future?
• Who is your ideal customer?
• Where do they spend their time?
• How do I get their attention?
• What is my sales process?

You must consider your target audience.

Only then can you develop an online presence that suits your needs and assists in your business growth.

 

 

2. Raise your authority and build trust with your customers.

Would you do business with a company that doesn’t have a website?

At the very least, you’d want to see some form of online presence.

Social media posts, reviews.

Something that lets you know that the business is real.

Wait…

Do you really need a website to prove your business is real?

Considering over 50% of people say they wouldn’t do business with a company that doesn’t have a website…

We would say that was a fair comment, wouldn’t you?

Your website can feature many things that can assist in building trust with your customers:

• Testimonials
• Accreditations
• Case Studies
• Relevant Content

Consider publishing content that engages your audience, but also inspires trust in your brand.

 

3. Attract new customers and generate sales-qualified leads

Social media are great platforms to reach people.

How do you reach the right people?

Your websites add another layer to your online brand.

Your website will be a clear indication of the type of work you offer.

This allow you to clearly define your target audience.

And will povide you with higher-quality leads, who are more invested in the process.

The best way to generate new leads on your website:

• Clear Call To Action
• Menus & Clear Navigation
• Landing Pages
• Advertising (PPC)
• Developing Content That Showcases Authority

 

4. It doesn’t have to cost you the world, or have you spend huge amounts of time…

Starting a website sounds time consuming and expensive.

Granted, there’s lots to think about.

Registering your domain name.

Website hosting.

Email address.

Managing the website.

It can be a lot of work for a small business to do themselves.

And all the small fees for your domain, the designer, each separate email address, the website hosting.

It can stack up.

You will find it hard, if you don’t have access to the necessary skills and resources.

Why does anyone go into business?

They do so, to make things easier for others.

To make things less confusing.

And to make things less expensive.

They are specialists in the field.

They have the resources.

The skills.

Website agencies will usually package your website design within a monthly cost, including:

• Domain Name
• Website Hosting
• Unlimited Email Addresses
• Website Design
• Website Management
• Writing Content
• SEO Setup

Find an agency that suits your needs.

We would always recommend a pay-monthly sees (see why).

 

It doesn’t need to be difficult

Starting up a business is a hard task.

There’s a lot to consider.

A lot of us start with the logical stuff.

I know when I first started in business, I was strolling around Leeds City Centre, looking for the physical place to ‘register a business.’

Even as a digital native, still, in 2017 I was roaming the streets trying to “form my company.”

The truth is, the first question we should ask is;

“How do we provide value?”

The next?

“What makes us different to others” (think: why would someone come to me, and not Bill over the road.)

And then?

“Who is our target audience?”

You can also add “and how do we reach them?”

Those three questions are a good start.

Then the questions remains.

Why get online?

“I am already busy.”

“I already have enough work.”

 

There it is, the two largest excuses for small businesses not to get online.

You’re either “not busy enough.”

OR you’re “too busy.”

The issue?

Lot of the times…

You are not taking charge of the business direction.

You aren’t controlling the business.

You might be busy.

But are you busy with the work you want?

And do you really want to ‘be busy’?

Do we get into business  to ‘be busy’?

Or are we creating companies that serve our lifestyles and dictate the work we can to take?

And here we have one of the main benefits of a website…

It defines your business.

It defines  your target audience.

It defines your area of business growth.

The best thing about a website?

It’s not a brochure.

It can be changed.

It can be updated.

It can be adapted.

And as your business grows…

Your digital presence and your website can grow too.

 

Your website can be a business asset, not a liability

You can wait as long as you want to get your business online.

The fact still remains.

As many say,

“Without a home page, your business is homeless.”

How do you control the narrative of your business…

How do you update customers on your company’s progress…

how do you take your business in the direction you wish…

Without a website?

We do have a solution.

Your website…

It requires time, effort, skill, money.

It can become a net-loss for your business…

Becoming stagnant as your business grows, not representing your current business aims.

You will never know the true loss of a badly managed website.

Without a long-term plan to manage your website, it may not be worth getting online.