If you own a small business, you may have asked yourself if you really need a website. As a website designer, the answer might surprise you!
No … you don’t NEED a website. However …
You DO need to have an online presence. It’s critical and essential to your business’s success. The question then becomes, “What does an online presence look like? What does that require?”
First, you have to understand that people are searching online. They’re looking for answers. They’re looking for products. They’re comparing companies. When they search, will you be part of what they find? If they have questions, you need to be the one providing the answers. When they’re looking for products, you need to be the one with the options available. When they’re looking at different companies, you need to be part of that equation.
So do you need a website? Not necessarily.
First and foremost, you HAVE to have a Google Business Profile. It’s a free service from Google. It’s the first impression that most customers will have of your business. This is where your business shows up when people search for services like “plumber near me” or “plumber hamilton mt”. When the search results appear, you need to be at the top. That requires an optimized Google Business Profile AND a website.
You see, having a website helps your Google Business Profile rise to the top. There are other factors that are involved, but It’s one of the most important factors. Think about it this way: If you and a competitor show up in the search results and they have a website and you don’t … which one is the customer going to click on for more information? Not you. You need a website to give the customer a second step.
A Google Business Profile comes first. Then comes a website. As one user put it: “If a place has no website, I assume it’s closed and (I) move past (it).” Another user said, “I live in a small town and a lot of businesses have just a Facebook page with their contact info, etc or are listed on Google maps with no website. Honestly, it can be annoying as a customer but it’s pretty common in my area. My friend who has a great online presence, and her competitors completely lack, gets a ton of customers just because of this.” (Source: Reddit.com)
It’s important to remember that a website isn’t for you; it’s for your customers.
Your website is an important piece of the online puzzle. Having a groundbreaking, fancy website with all the bells and whistles isn’t. If cost is an issue, create your website using Wix or Squaresapce. If you need to start with just a simple landing page, then create a simple landing page and add the other pages at a later time.
When time and money are an issue, start with a free Google Business Profile, a social media account, a business card, etc. but remember, each of them should eventually lead your potential customers to a place where they can learn more, a place where they can verify that you’re legit, a place where they can become a customer … and that place is a website.