There are currently over 307,200,000 million active users of the internet in the United States alone according to research conducted by Statista in October 2022. And the total mobile retail e-commerce revenue in the United States currently sits at $362b. As if that’s not shocking enough, there are a total of 1.98 billion websites online and 4.32 billion people would instinctively use their smartphones to surf the internet.
The internet currently stands at the fore of everything we do. We can’t say what the reality might be in another 100 to 200 years but the current reality makes digital visibility a top priority. If your average target consumer is always surfing the internet, they’re instinctively drawn to check your business out online starting with your website and then your social media platforms.
You need a website to convince the ideal digital audience that your business is legit, and they can put their trust in you to deliver on your promise. Below are other reasons why you certainly need a website for your business.
1. Gives Your Business A Stamp Of Professionalism
A website built and designed well creates a positive perception and approval around your business. In this day and time, prospective customers would believe the reviews or any information they find about your business on the internet before considering what giving your product a benefit of doubt.
Having a website that succinctly states what your business is about, what your motivation, mission and vision is, product offering and how it stands out from competition, your store locations, frequently asked regarding your business and literally any information you’d like to put out there about your business.
Your website acts as the deciding factor for most visitors. If your website is neatly designed, they’d automatically assume that your product is good, and the service provider knows exactly what they’re doing. By this logic, a tacky website or no website at all means the product is shady and should not be interacted with.
2. Gives You A Seamless Platform To Showcase Your Products However You Want
Gone are the days where prospective customers have to leave their homes merely for product consideration. If they do leave the comfort of their homes, it is either to carryout final vetting on the brand or simply pick up their orders. 80% of the purchase decision is influenced by what they’ve seen online.
If you sell baby products, having a website would allow you showcase what the product looks like in the box, when in use, on shelf, etc. A website is practically a digital office/store where you communicate everything about what your business offers to your consumers.
3. Makes You A Worthy Competitor Against The Top Dogs In Your Industry
Starting a business takes courage and determination. You can’t rule out the fact that competition would always be present and that’s where a website comes in. Not having one makes you less of a worthy contender.
The great thing about the digital space is that your website can be so properly designed that it ranks higher than the website of these "big dogs". This gives you the leverage to reach a wider audience and also showcase your product in ways that they do not.
A website levels the playing field, enabling small firms to flourish in today's cutthroat business environment.
4. A Website Is More Reliable Than Social Media
Most business owners believe that creating a Twitter account or a Facebook page solves whatever digital visibility issue they might be having but that’s not the case. Social media platforms have regulations, platforms decline in terms of reach and users. If you invest all your resources in building a social media page, what happens if that platform gets bought out or just stops being relevant?
According to Facebook, users spent 50 million fewer hours on the social media platform in 2018 than they did in 2017. This implies that with the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, the average time spent on other platforms would drop. This makes having a website very important because you don’t necessarily rely on the reach of any platform to drive visibility for your website.
Provided that the content on your website is top notch, you’d surely get the needed visibility for your business.
Another key importance of a website is that it acts as a reliable data center that allows you monitor the visibility of your business. This way, you’d be able to identify what sections of your website visitors interact with mostly and what pages need to be optimized and fixed.