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Do Websites Matter in 2020?
The question all business owners eventually ask themselves as they begin to invest money into marketing - do I really NEED a website?
With opportunities to market your business on Facebook, Yelp and Google Business, it’s easy to push off investing in your little corner of the internet or question why have one at all?
The truth is, a strategically designed website is the foundation to your marketing plan and can help you generate more money with less effort.
This post is NOT about telling anyone that they can’t market their business without a website, but what it will cover is how having a website can help grow your business.
Now, maybe that aligns with your 2020 goals, or maybe you’re just not there yet, so it’s important to know the industry standards to see what tangible opportunities are out there for you to grow your business and increase your brand loyalty to get those clients and customers coming back and referring you to their peers.
Authority = expertise = higher prices
When is the last time you bought something strictly from a Facebook page? It’s not often because ANYONE can have one of these pages. You don’t need to be an expert (or even a real business) to have a facebook page.
If you truly want to raise prices, sell more and attract more of your ideal clients, you should have a space that you’ve invested in. A singular point of truth for your prospective and current clients and customers to figure out who you are, why they should trust you, what sets you apart and how serious you are about your business.
A well designed, user-friendly website with relevant information, an authoritative tone and quality content can take your ideal customer from skeptic to believer in just a few clicks.
Don’t get me wrong - social media is incredibly important when it comes to marketing your business (or ads, we all have our ways) - but your website is the foundation to those platforms, connecting every part.
2. Get found on Google
The last time you needed to find an answer, where did you go? The most common answer is Google, but I’ll (begrudgingly) accept Bing or Yahoo. When someone is ready to take action they go to a search engine to find the answers and if you’re solely relying on social media - you can kiss those warm leads goodbyeeeeeee because they cannot index Facebook Business Pages.
You’re a savvy entrepreneur - so you’ve probably heard the term SEO and you know it’s important, but why?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has to do with indexing your business on search engines (like Google) so that people who are looking for YOUR EXACT BUSINESS can find it!
Don’t leave money on the table - get a website and convert those leads!
I know - designing a website can feel like an overwhelming task when you’re busy running a business, but just like everything else - there are people to do that for you (*ahem ME) - and you’ll open up yet another avenue to increase your sales for 2020! It all comes down to the investment you’re willing to make in order to grow your business and stop leaving money on the table!
3. people buy from brands they trust
FUN FACTS:
30% of consumers won’t consider a business without a website (Credit: YP and LSA)
46% say a website is the biggest determinant of whether they trust a company
75% judge a businesses credibility on their website alone
If people are looking at your Yelp or Facebook page it does not mean they don’t want to see your website. Typically, consumers check at least 2 sources before they buy from you.
Let’s say someone gets your information through a referral and wants to see the quality of work you deliver - how are you showcasing your services and providing proof that you can do what you promise to do? If you’re just using a medium blog or a Facebook page, you’re going to look more like a novice than an expert which can impact your pricing and the clients you attract.
Consumers today expect that professional brands have a dedicated website where their questions will be answered. It gives you total control over your brand story and can create a deeper connection with your clients or customers. Building trust, showcasing your unique value proposition and making it easy for your ideal client to engage with you means they will be more likely to buy what you’re selling.
One HUGE caveat to all of this is:
if you have a bad website design,
it won’t get results
You have less than 10 seconds to make a first impression, to tell visitors who you are and what they’ll get out of your company. Fail to connect and they’re already onto another website.
4. Sell While You Sleep
One of the most enjoyable features of having a website, is being able to run your business at 24/7/365. Your information is readily available whenever someone wants it and if you’re selling products or services, you can literally do it in your sleep!
Again, design is incredibly important for CONVERSION*, so working with a strategic website designer can have a dramatic impact on your ability to sell.
Your website should support all the elements that impact your revenue stream, from marketing campaigns to client relationship building. Integrate your marketing tools, reach new customers consistently and generate repeat business.
5. Another lead generation tool
You can pay for ads, comment on posts, do ALL THE THINGS - but getting information from your potential customer can be a tough exchange and an email list is a GREAT way to generate repeat sales.
When’s the last time you gave away your email to a storefront? It’s not often people will sign up and beyond that - you’re lucky if the emails are real. It’s a lot harder!
Getting people to type their email into a box on a website is much easier - especially if you’re giving them something for it, like a discount or a newsletter. With those emails, aka warm leads, you can now interact with your prospect when you’ve got something special to offer and increase the likelihood they’ll buy.
What’s your reason for not having a website?
I speak with prospects and anti-prospects on a regular basis and one small business owner told me that they weren’t looking for anymore business, they get most of it by word-of-mouth and it wasn’t a necessary spend. They were an interior designer and as busy as they want to be.
The hard truth is, if you actually want more business - a website is like your calling card to the world and it’s expected for professional companies. Regardless of your business goals, a website can help get you there if designed with strategic intent.
At the end of that conversation we ended up building a website for said interior designer! They didn’t need more leads, but they wanted an online reputation they could be proud of (not some old clunky website they couldn’t update) and that would allow them to raise their prices.
Don’t be price scared and let that stop you from creating a website. If you’re a #solopreneur, or a one-person organization with little to no budget - at least get a basic website that you can upgrade later.
Don’t feel overwhelmed because you’re not tech-y and you don’t have time. There are a ton of designers out there who can help!
Alrighty, folks
THAT’S IT! THAT’S ALL YOU NEED!
….. Just kidding!
The final answer is YES, websites are still incredibly relevant and an important part to establishing your credibility and driving increased revenue.
While designing a website can feel overwhelming, there are always experts willing to help and a ton of resources to help you get started - like my FREE website workbook!
If you’ve been following me for awhile than hopefully you know by now that there are several components (more than what can be put on a list) that go into creating a professional and unique website that gets you real results.
If you’re questioning whether or not your website is actually supporting your business:
