There are a lot of good reasons why all businesses should have a website. Even if it’s just one page that lists your address, contact info, and opening times, it really is worthwhile. Here are the top reasons why even small local businesses should have a website.
- It’s your digital storefront – just like you have control of what someone sees when they walk past and peep in the windows, having your own website ensures you have control of that online too. If you have your own website, you can make sure people are getting your correct address, your best contact info, accurate opening hours, and any other information you want to provide. You may also want to match your website to your physical location aesthetically. Essentially, it gives you credibility.
- You are in control – if you don’t have a website, people will rely on crowdsourced information from places like Google, TripAdvisor, or Yelp. While these websites are useful to be aware of and know how to handle, all it takes is one ill-informed user to say you’re closed on weekends and then everyone looking for info will see it. If you have your own website, there’s a single source of truth for your business’s details, and you’re in control.
- It ensures you are competitive – Data from Google has shown that the majority of people who perform a local Google search will go on to visit a related store within a week. If someone searches for ”bookshop in Stirling” and finds your competitor’s website but not yours, you’ve missed out on a big opportunity there.
- It can save you time – if you have a great FAQ page and include lots of great information about your business on your website, people will answer their own questions without having to get in contact. This also makes them feel positive about you – they had a question, and you anticipated that need and answered it. The customer feels seen.
- It’s a place to provide updates – websites are online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so if you have a sale or are closing early on a bank holiday, you can put this information online and people will be informed.
- It’s a springboard for digital marketing – you can use it as a place to start building up your online presence, you can collect email addresses so you can communicate promotions with people, and you could start looking into running paid ads. It’s really hard to do any of this without a website and they are very lucrative things to do.
- It brings in new customers – whether it’s through people looking you up so they can visit in person or from sending in enquiries, a website is a very important tool for generating new leads. 97% of small businesses would recommend having a website to other small businesses.
There are so many good reasons for small businesses to have websites, and once you have a website you need content to go on it! Check out my writing samples to see if I could be the right fit for your website copywriting needs and get in touch.