Back in the old days, people found new places to shop by walking along Main Street. However, now, only about 8% of people find new businesses that way, according to emarketer.com. The majority of folks find new businesses either by word of mouth or because they conducted the modern-day version of walking along Main Street: They googled it. That means your small business MUST have a website to keep up. And don’t think a Facebook page, Instagram account, or using TikTok will cut it because they don’t. One of the most recurring pieces of advice I hear is: “Don’t build your business on a platform you don’t own.”
A website you own. TikTok you do not. If TikTok goes down, introduces algorithms, etc., then where will you be? How can customers pay you? What services do you provide? It’s much harder to set up all of those features on social media whereas a website is a one-stop-shop for all things you and your business.
Need more reasons why you should have a website? Speaking from our expertise as a Charlotte web designer, we’ll tell you!
Do business in your sleep
If you rely on foot traffic from a brick-and-mortar store, your influence is limited to the physical location, not to mention the times when your business is open. With a website, that’s not the case. Customers and clients have access to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That means you can make a sale in your sleep. Sounds pretty good to me!
However, you can’t just slap up a website and expect to make a sale – you also need to use SEO best practices. What are some search terms people could use to find you? Are they highly competitive? Are you utilizing local SEO? If you’re unsure about the answers to these questions, we can help you! We’re a whiz at Charlotte internet marketing, North Carolina internet marketing, and internet marketing in general. Reach out to learn more.
Sales and marketing become a breeze
If engaging in sales and marketing makes you groan because you’d rather focus on other things, I hear you! But gone are the days when you have to cold call 10 people to get one sale. With a website, you can capture leads from people searching for you instead of the other way around. You’re able to pitch and sell directly to a warm audience, or in other words, people who are more likely to buy what you’re selling, be it a good or service.
When someone googles “website redesign Charlotte,” they’re already looking for someone like us and it becomes that much easier to say, “Hey, let’s chat about whether we’re a good fit.” See? Soooo much easier than calling up every Tom, Dick, and Harry and asking whether they’re in the market for a new website.
Reach more people
This is likely obvious but bears repeating, with a website you can reach a global audience. People from all over the world can contact you for goods or services because they aren’t limited by a physical location. This is a must because 93.2% of consumers typically travel 20 minutes or less to make their everyday purchases, according to this survey. But in reality, it’s even less than that because 87% of consumers typically travel 15 minutes or less to make their everyday purchases.
If you’re not within that customer’s 15-minute travel radius, you won’t have their business. If you have an online shop though, it doesn’t matter. People like convenience. They’re happy to purchase something online and get it shipped to them. If you don’t have a website, you’re losing out.
Still reach the locals
Having a website broadens your reach, but ironically, it also helps with local customers. Why? Because 72% of consumers who searched for something locally then shop at a store within five miles of them. In other words, people will go online first, check you out, review your inventory, and then make the leap to visit you in person. In that case, make sure your “About Us” page is up to date with directions and store hours!
Become credible
Lastly, this may be low on your list of priorities, but a website not only drives sales but can boost your credibility and ensure repeat customers or clients. If you have a blog that shares tips, tricks, and just generally enjoyable content, people keep coming back. You can drop in SEO keywords, but you also establish yourself as an authority figure. We consider ourselves to be experts in web design and we want people to think of us first when they’re considering hiring a Charlotte web designer. That’s another reason why our website has a blog.
We want people to know and trust us, to engage with us, and we’re able to do so asynchronously because of our web presence. You don’t need to have a conversation with us in real-time to learn who we are (but we’d be glad if you did!).
That said, does your small business need a website? Or a website redesign? If so, you know who to call (or email).
Explore why your small business requires our expert website design services. Enhance your online presence affordably with our tailored solutions! Need more reasons? Contact our experts at (704) 336-9113.
