By Kristie Parker
You have your reasons.
Maybe you’ve been holding off on building a website because you don’t know where to start or you don’t have the money right now or you think it’s irrelevant to your line of work.
But deep down you wonder if having a website might make things a bit easier. Free up some time. Reach more customers. Give you a more professional image.
You could always fall back on the stats. After all, as of 2018, six out of every ten small businesses didn’t have a website. So you’re in the majority. And it might feel safe to hear that.
Are you giving people an opportunity to see and remember you? That’s one thing that your website can do. Read on to uncover the rest of its powers…
Imagine walking into a restaurant. There is no hostess and no sign telling you to “seat yourself.” You awkwardly stand by the door as the minutes tick by and eventually slide into a nearby booth. You flag down a waiter and ask for a menu.
He replies, “There aren’t any. That’s not how we do things here,” as he wanders away.
How would you feel? Would you be confused? Maybe even annoyed? I would.
Because we have an expectation of how a restaurant operates. The warm greeting from a hostess makes us feel acknowledged and cared for. The smile from the server who delivers our menu and asks if we’d like something to drink are cues that we, the customers, are appreciated.
People rely on Google to find local businesses and when a business doesn’t have a website, their guard goes up. Instead of captivating them with our unique story and dazzling them with our service we instead leave them wondering: Are they still in business?
Let visitors know what to expect before they’ve even walked in the door. That makes people feel comfortable.
You’re losing customers who don’t even know you exist. When you rely on referrals and neighborhood traffic you’re only visible to a tiny community.
A website informs potential customers who won’t just drive by, and it explains your service so people can see why they need it. It also makes things simple for your current clients by giving them a place to quickly access your contact information.
Does your favorite customer call you on the phone? Maybe. But not at 3am. A website with an email address or contact form ensures that your customers can reach out to you anytime because it’s available 24/7 and open 365 days a year.
Promotional materials like brochures, flyers, and business cards can be pricey. And when you change your hours, address, or phone number you have to print a whole new batch.
Your website can be updated anytime for free with zero hassle so it’s easy to run seasonal promotions and keep all of your information current. What’s even better? You can deliver your message in a consistent well-thought-out style.
The colors, font, and images, if used properly, tell strangers a lot about our business. They instantly know if we are a fancy boutique or a no-frills, bare-bones supply store.
What would your website tell the world about you?
Radio and TV ads and direct mail are a one-way communication. They don’t allow you to engage with your customers. And they can be costly and hard to measure. How do you even know if it’s generating any business?
Plus, ads are widely considered a nuisance. They aren’t how people like to consume their information. When I’m driving to the gym looking for some pumping-iron tunes the last thing I want to be hit with is an ad read for novelty band-aids that smell like bacon. Give me some Jay-Z!
Even Super Bowl ads have lost some of their effectiveness according to a 2014 study that showed 80% of them do not increase sales for the companies running them (The Guardian).
People see through that stuff. It’s invasive. There are more tactful ways you can use your website to cater to your audience. You don’t have to fight to get their attention if you offer them what they need in an easy-to-understand, caring way.
Use your authentic voice to tell them what big or small improvements they’ll make by working with you.
When you share your unique story, customers can connect with you on both an intellectual and emotional level.
Consumers shop with businesses whose values they align with, don’t you?
According to Forbes.com, “In addition to giving your customers reasons why they should buy a product or service, businesses need to start sharing the story behind their brand, why it exists, and why this matters. Brand storytelling is no longer a nice to have. It is a need to have, and what will ultimately maximize your business’s visibility, profit, and impact.”
You make it easier for customers to refer you when they can share your web address or simply tell a friend to Google you versus rooting through their cavernous carryall of a handbag in search of your phone number.
You know what else?
Even when we get referrals from people we know we tend to consult Google for a second opinion since over 80% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
When people Google “landscapers/babysitters/dentists near me” who will they find? If you don’t have an online presence, customers are driven toward your competition. This is true now more than ever.
In addition, your website is a place to highlight your experience and expertise – the stuff that customers need to know when they’re deciding between you and another company in your industry.
Clients browsing online will never know that you have stellar customer service or more competitive prices or a lifetime guarantee because you’re invisible.
A presence on social media does not legitimize your business. Anyone can have a social media page. Or any thing.
A 2015 survey showed that 84% of consumers believe that having a website makes your business more credible than just a social media page.
What else? You’re missing out on all the people who aren’t on your preferred platform. For a while it felt like everyone was on Facebook, but now?
Social media can be helpful in engaging your audience, but only if you post constantly. And creating that much new content can be a full-time job in itself.
Social media posts are intentionally short. People are scrolling at lightning speed. And it’s anxiety-inducing to incessantly grab their attention.
On the other hand, your website holds space for explanations. Customers aren’t here to be mindlessly entertained. They arrived at your site purposefully. They want to know how your business can help them.
Show your customer how you can alleviate a pain point in her daily life and you”ll have her undivided attention.
Did you know that @cheesecurlsofinstagram has over 35,000 Instagram followers? The whole account is literally pictures of Cheetos that look like other things.
Your business is different. Not just because you offer a specific service or price. Because it’s the only business owned by you.
The trouble is, new customers don’t know how great you are…yet.
Our websites are a place to showcase our accomplishments and our specialties. Things that make us stand out. After all, there are tons of bakeries.
Don’t you want customers to know that you won the award for best glazed doughnut this year or that you are the only shop in town that makes gluten-free croissants?
It puts our clients at ease when they know what to expect from us. By browsing our website, they’ve already started getting to know us and that reduces the risk of doing business with us.
According to Brainrules.net, when we hear a piece of information, 3 days later we can only recall 10% of it. However, when it’s paired with a picture, we remember 65%.
Our clients have so many choices. They won’t go to the ends of the Earth looking for you. They’ll simply hire someone else. Unless…You show them who you are and how you can help them.
Give them a place to learn about your offerings and a simple way to contact you.
Once you show your customers see who you are and how you can help them, they’ll be drawn to you.
Now you can focus on stellar customer service and forget about icky, pushy sales tactics.
