Will a website help my business? Absolutely. We live in digital age where business inquiries are just a Google search away. Having a website not only helps broaden your exposure, but also helps give your business creditability. I mean, I can confidently say most people researching a business via the internet will most likely get discouraged and lose confidence if the business doesn’t have a website.

Nowadays, there aren’t many successful businesses that don’t have a website. Imagine if a multi-billion dollar company like Walmart didn’t have a website. Sure we’d probably still shop their, but wouldn’t it be strange? The fact that we would find it a bit suspect means websites are an integral part of any successful business operation and business owners will be doing themselves a disservice without having a website.

Here are a few reasons why a website will help a business:

1. Generate Leads

I’d like to clarify a misconception I running into from time-to-time. When I first speak to a potential client, they seem to think this 1989 Kevin Costner movie quote, “If you build it, they will come”. Of course “they” represents traffic. This isn’t necessarily the reality. When I say “Generate Leads” I mean there lives the potential to generate possible leads that wouldn’t otherwise exist without having an online presence. In other words, you’ll never know how many potential customers were missed because the business did not a website.

2. Broaden Reach

This applies to both national and local businesses. Having an online presence that can be reached by any mobile device any where in the world already has the potential to tap into unknown geography.

3. 24/7 Accessible

The internet has enabled people to reach businesses that would otherwise be out of reach. As long as you have a reputable hosting provider like SiteGround for example, your website will be available to view 24/7/365, which has the potential to further generate leads.

4. Increase Business Credibility

I can’t stress this enough. Credibility is something invaluable to any business. It helps the consumer trust an establishment, but could get lost before it even begins. In this digital world, not having an online presence could mean strike one for many users. Even if you the business has a website, Strike 2 comes in the form of a poorly designed and hard to navigate website. So it is also important to update a site every 5 years.

5. Decrease Overhead

I predict most successful brick and mortar stores will slowly transition to selling exclusively online. Why? Because it’s simply more cost effective. Think about it, renting a warehouse is far less expensive than renting a store front. Having users use a digital checkout, is far less expensive that hiring a cashier. Although the initial investment for an eCommerce website could run anywhere between $10,000 – $100,000, the long investment benefit the business in the long run.

To conclude, having an online presence will not only greatly improve your reach and exposure, but it will also give a business credibility, which ultimately leads to increased sales.