The 21st century is here to stay and our world is forever finding ways to connect digitally in better and more efficient ways. Even my grandparents have and are adopting new technology! Did you know that 90% of Americans (http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/02/03/texting.photos.gahran/index.html) own some kind of computerized gadget and that over 88.5% of them use it to browse the internet. (http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/us/)
1. They expect it
Your website is like what the phonebook once was, it is a listing on the internet so when someone does a search for say “nearby electrician” they will find you and they can learn more about your business. You should list your business on online directories and Google Business (list blog article for this) but that only helps you part of the way. They will most likely be shopping around online with your competition looking for the best “nearby electrician”. Impress your potential new customer with a website that lets them know why your company is the best and attract the type of customer you desire.
2. Credibility
Show that you are the expert in your field and that you care about your customers. Your website is a great place to reveal your record of great customer satisfaction. Not only may you be trying to impress potential customers but a website will add credibility for current customers, vendors, and employees.
3. 24/7 marketing
I can’t promise your website marketing will make you rich overnight but you’re missing out if you aren’t marketing online. Your website acts as a 24/7 tool that you can customize to do many types of marketing. Some popular marketing ways are: pay per click, blogging, content, video, social media and email. (http://www.digitalvidya.com/blog/types-of-online-marketing-channels/)
4. Generate Leads
Generating a hot leads list can be time consuming and difficult. What if your leads created the list for you? Well, they can! Your website can act as a 24/7 lead generator where hot leads give you their information. There are several ways to go about gathering these leads and you could use one or all of them. Once you have your database of leads you can market to them specifically and hopefully turn them into a happy paying customer.
5. Show up on Google and Bing
If you are reading this post it is very likely you have heard of Google and maybe Bing. You may have also heard of the phone book, which is still out there but quickly becoming obsolete. People are using their phones and the internet to find businesses. Your website will be automatically found and indexed by search engines giving you an added marketing tool which you don’t have to pay for.
6. Competition
You might not be the only business in your area serving a certain type of customer. Most consumers will do some research before they select a place to do business at. Make a good impression and let them know you are keeping up with the rest of the world with a website. They will most likely want to find out more about your business and see if you are truly the expert you claim to be. One way to show that you are the expert is by having a blog or providing free resources that show you care about them.
7. Contact
If none of the other reasons haven’t convinced you yet this one should. I can’t count the amount of times I have searched online for businesses in my area for something I needed and found out-of-date or no contact information at all! Regretfully for them they didn’t get my business. Even if you don’t have a fancy website or much information get your contact information out there and keep it up-to-date. Consumers are searching the internet for businesses and you will at least want to give them the opportunity to contact you whether it be via email, phone or an online form they can fill out.
8. I have too much work already, why do I still need a website?
Because you want to continually improve and create a great customer experience. You may want to connect with your current customers, suppliers and potential employees or maybe you want to serve your community and provide your expertise to them. You can also use a website in other ways than the reasons listed above are for. Maybe you want customer resource management, event calendar or an online learning management system.
