The age-old question – Why do you need a website?

Many businesses across the world are struggling, yes because of the economy but also because they don’t understand the importance of having a website to promote their business online. This post is about why a quality website is so important to a business and why your business needs to get one today.

Here are our top 5 reasons why your small business needs a website.

1. Reach More Potential Customers

Whether you are targeting locals or the whole world, having a website for your small business means you can reach more of your audience, much more easily and cheaply. The children of the 90′s are now in their 20′s and have disposable income. They grew up with the internet and it’s their primary tool to find information, products and compare almost everything – so if they are part of your target audience a website is a must.

2. It’s Always there

Your office/shop may have hours of 9 to 5, Monday to Friday but why should that mean you have to stop selling or stop telling people why to do business with you? Exactly, you shouldn’t have to stop – a website is your 24/7 salesman, that costs a small percentage of a real salesman.

3. Generate a Professional Image

A professionally designed business website is a sure way to instil confidence in new customers who may not be familiar with your business. Maybe they are comparing you with another business that doesn’t have a website, your website will help to give an impression that they are dealing with a company they can trust. A professional image will also generate a subconscious level of trust in your company.

4. No More Yellow Pages!

Remember in the 90′s we’d get a huge yellow book on our door step, it got thinner and thinner until today it’s … well tiny. The reason for this is the Yellow Pages, just like other telephone directories, are a thing of the past. If someone wants to find a “Piano Lessons in Cape Town” they search for it online, they usually don’t even consider looking at a paper directory. Also due to the decline in size of the paper directory less and less are being delivered, so what was once in every household is no in relatively few.

5. Always up to date!

Most quality websites are designed using a Content Management System, basically an administration area so that you are in control of the website. If you need a change to some content or to add products or view orders placed on a website, you can without needing to ask your website designer! Day or Night you can always update, add or delete content – making your website Always Up to Date!
One example of a CMS is Word Press, it is the most widely used CMS in the world and is estimate to power over 30 million websites, including this website!

Web Fact – People judge your business by your website.

“75% of web users admit making judgments about the credibility of an organization based on the design of its web site” – BJ Fogg, Stanford Web Credibility Project

The Stanford University Web Credibility Project developed the 10 guidelines of web credibility based on three years of research that included over 4500 people. You should use these guidelines to improve the trustworthiness of your website.