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In an age of algorithms, automation, and virtual reality, not having a website means your company doesn’t exist in the connected world. Many business decisions start with search engines. With the tap of a browser icon, customers can access information and make purchasing decisions in the blink of an eye. According to a report by Fleishman-Hillard, 89% of consumers use search engines for purchase decisions. Failing to have a website is a huge drawback but the mere existence of a website won’t cut it with customers or the search engine gods.
Good web design fits your brand, achieves specific goals, improves sales, and connects with customers in meaningful ways.
A high-quality website never sits idle and neglected, it pays tribute to your business with lead generation and sales. How does a website do it? A web presence is built on quality content, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for customers, potential employees, business partners, and investors to quickly discover more about your business and the products or services you offer.
“Good web design fits your brand, achieves specific goals, improves sales, and connects with customers in meaningful ways,” said Katie Ratcliffe, Synch Studio’s design strategist and founder. “Very few web designers know that, and even fewer know how to accomplish it.”
It’s not enough to simply have a website. Amazing writing and expert web design need to interlace to create a unique experience that grabs the attention of your customers while providing visibility for your business. Here are six reasons a strong website is important for driving business growth for your company.
A Website is the Professional Face of Your Company
First impressions count immensely. Would you walk into a business meeting in pajamas and fluffy slippers? Of course not! You want to be taken seriously. Your website is your professional face so make sure it is the one you want for your business. You will be judged by it.
For many of your customers, your website is the only connection they have to your business and what they see and experience there directly influences whether or not they purchase your products or services. As a result, every effort needs to go into building a website that’s visually appealing, easy to navigate and gives valuable information to prospective customers. If your website fails to impress, it will erode your credibility, causing customers to turn away from doing business with your company.
A Website Can Drive Local Business
Having a website is critical but useless unless people are visiting it. Today, many people turn to search engines to find business recommendations. A good way for local customers to find your business is through online directories. Adding a listing to online directories such as Google, Bing, Yelp, Facebook, YP.com and others, is an excellent opportunity to get found in Internet searches. Making sure your company has a presence everywhere your prospective customers search is critical for driving local business.
A Website Communicates with Customers
Customers are the lifeblood of your business. Make their experience on your website convenient and informative. One of the most important responsibilities of a business website is to communicate effectively with its customers. Even though online communication is less personal than in-person interactions, it’s fast and efficient. Your customers can find the answers they need about your services or products 24/7. Also, if you regularly keep up a quality blog for your business, it nurtures positive communication with your customers, helping build credibility and customer loyalty. Having a website that isn’t easily accessible on mobile devices creates barriers to maintaining a relationship with customers and incurs the wrath of Google.
Responsive design generally provides the best benefits for most. It’s important to ask what type of mobile-friendly version is recommended, and why.
In 2015, Google unleashed “Mobilegeddon” on the mobile search world, boosting the ranking of pages that are legible and usable on mobile devices and burying those that are not. Not sure if your website is mobile responsive? Run the Mobile-Friendly Test to see how it scores.
Even if your website fails the test, there is hope. An update may be in order. However, Synch Studio design strategist and founder Katie Ratcliffe cautions the danger of improperly updating a website.
“Not all ‘mobile-friendly’ services are created equal. The term ‘mobile-friendly’ covers a few different options.” Ratcliffe said. “Responsive design generally provides the best benefits for most. It’s important to ask what type of mobile-friendly version is recommended, and why.”
Ratcliffe advises business owners to make sure their web designer is capable of fixing issues that may occur and performs tests prior to launching a new website.
“A website crash or error message is bad for any business. But even a minor glitch with online commerce can mean millions of dollars lost” Ratcliffe said.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
A Website Is the Hub of Your Marketing
Your website is the nerve center of your marketing strategy, trailing its tentacles across various channels such as social media, video, webinar, email, direct mail and more. All online and even offline promotions point to your website. Even if they don’t right now, they should.
How do you convert window shoppers into buyers without a website to light the way? A solid website drives incoming traffic even for businesses with physical storefronts and converts them into leads. Your website offers information to prospective customers for every stage of the buying process, making it a valuable resource for sales and business development.
A Website Levels the Playing Field
Today, the Internet makes it possible for small companies to compete with larger ones. Size is irrelevant in the world of websites. It all comes down to a strong digital strategy. Small agencies are much more nimble, willing to experiment with new marketing tactics and technologies on their website, whereas large organizations tend to stick to mainstream technologies and are slower at adapting to trends. Also, small firms can personalize their website to help connect on a more personal level with customers as oppose to the generic websites of big corporations.
A Website Can Generate Media Interest
It’s essential to keep the public and your target audience interested in what you’re doing. The more publicity you can attract, the more sales roll in. There are avenues you can take to accomplish this including social media, viral video, and blog. Blogging is a public relations tool. Maintaining a blog that regularly publishes informative content on your website does several things:
- encourages repeat visitors;
- establishes your company’s authority on the topics you write about;
- allows journalists and other media professionals to link to your website for their articles while boosting SEO.
A solid website spearheads the growth of your company. No matter the size of your organization, a website is an essential business tool. However, a website is useless if it’s not working actively to attract new customers and push your company forward. Does your website do that?
How We Can Help
Your website should be one of your company’s greatest assets. Our services help drive online engagement and leads through valuable content your customers will love. Our team can create the right website strategy and design to take your business to the next level. Ready to start? Let’s chat.