I have scoured the earth for legitimate reasons a small business doesn’t need a website.
Here’s what I came up with:
- You’re a spy agency and don’t want to be found
- You have too many customers
- You’re making too much money
- Your primary customers are The Flintstones
All kidding aside, the most common reason we hear from small businesses for not having a website is: “we don’t need one.”
That’s unlikely due to the many uses for a business website including customer support, lead generation, educating your customers, contact information and location mapping, and most importantly ordering products and services. But when it comes down to it, your website isn’t for you, it’s for your customers.
If a customer has ever asked for directions, about your products, what time you close, about your return policies, etc. then a website can help your business. This kind of information could all be on your website.
If you don’t have a website, imagine how many prospective customers have searched online for your contact info, hours, location, products, etc. If prospective customers can’t find this information about your business, then your business doesn’t exist and they’ll go elsewhere. Wouldn’t you?
Some older business owners still believe a Yellow Pages listing is enough. While Yellow pages are still used by older audiences, there are many younger people who’ve never even used the Yellow Pages. Times are a ‘changin.
The best reason to have a website is that there’s no reason not to because these days getting a website is easier than ever.
As of this month, December 2016, 3,274,982,000 people worldwide have access to the Internet. No matter what your business is, you can’t ignore over 3 billion people.
Sooner or later, someone will type your name or business into a search engine. What do you want them to find? Nothing, or worse yet, your competition? A Website will allow your business or organization to be “open” 24/7.
Every business should have a website. BUT, here’s the exception to my rule: It’s actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad.
Your site speaks volumes about your business. It either says, “Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful site for our customers!” or it screams, “Hey, look, I let my 10-year-old nephew design my site. Good luck finding anything!”
Whatever you’re advertising, whether it be services, products, or yourself, a website is an easy and inexpensive way to promote yourself. Every other kind of advertising will cost a premium.
Websites are like brochures that are free to reproduce, interactive, and quickly distributed to people who are already looking for them. No advertising medium even comes close to the ease-of-use and effectiveness of a Website.
At a minimum, you should have a website that gives the basic information — phone number, address, a list of your products or services, pricing, an “about us” page, and a contact page. You should also make sure that people can actually find it in the search engines and directories, so a little professional help to get that done would be imperative.
Your website is one of the most important parts of your business. Make sure you treat it as such.
Thank you entrepreneur.com and justaddcontent.com for information and statistics.