7 Small Business Website Benefits

Unless you've been living in packing peanuts for the past several years, you've probably heard the news by now: there are business website benefits you can't afford to miss out on.

Let's put it this way: 47% of small businesses don't use social media.

Think about the boost that gives you over that foolish 47%. And if you still need convincing, here are seven more reasons why a website is a great decision for your small business.
 

1. The Internet is the New Phone Book

Remember back in the olden days, when someone wanted to know something about your business, and they hauled a massive book out of the closet that was the size of five bricks and looked up your business?

Yeah, those days are over.

Nowadays, one of the biggest business website benefits is that the Internet acts like a phone book - and then some.

Because they're not just finding you online. They're also finding reviews by other customers, and comparable products (aka your competitors). So instead of letting them find your competitors, get them to find you.
 

2. A Website Gives You Legitimacy

Let's be honest: your customers expect a website. Six out of ten of them, in fact, expect brands and companies to provide online content about their business in some form or another.

And while we're on the subject, most of them will go straight to your website for information about you and your products.

And if they don't find it? Competitor - 1, you - 0.

Giving them what they want in a website is just as much an art as giving them the product they want.
 

3. It Also Gives You Social Proof

Remember in #1 when we mentioned reviews?

Fun fact: having a website lets you harness those to your advantage.

See, the second most powerful influencer of buying decisions is word of mouth. As in, reviews, plus recommendations from family and friends.

Actually, about 90% of consumers say their buying decisions are affected by online reviews.

So instead of hoping for good things on Yelp, why not let them read reviews on your website, where they're already more likely to buy?

They've already found you, and they're more likely to be willing to buy if they see positive reviews while the product is right in front of them.
 

4. A Website Saves You Money

Let's talk numbers.

You might be thinking your small business can't afford an expensive web development, right? It's out of your budget. Maybe next year.

Wrong.

The cost of building a site varies, but once you've got it, the average cost of maintaining it tends to look something like $100 per month.

And before you cringe at that extra $100 out of your bottom line, remember this: business website benefits include e-commerce.

Your business doesn't just exist as a brick and mortar anymore - that website can generate sales to pay for itself.
 

5. You Control Your Business Narrative

You can't control what other people say about you (or what they post about you on social media).

But you can control the story you give them to start with. How?

Ding ding ding. A website.

Think about a blog. It gives you an easy platform to give useful information to your customers on a regular basis, and your email list lets you market them, at a low cost, straight to their inbox.

Oh, and that thing about what they post about you on social media? You can't control what everyone posts about you, but you can give them the option to share your products and content with social share buttons.

Control that narrative, all day, every day.
 

6. Your Competitors All Have Websites

So you think you can outcompete all of your competitors, who have websites, by...not having a website?

How does this make sense again?

Picture this. A consumer has an idea about what they need or want. Before they buy, they fire up a search browser and start typing. They go through websites to research what they want.

Most consumers do this, by the way - 72% of them go online for educational material, expert tips, reviews, and testimonials.

Now let's say they find that expert material. They learn something, find out something new about what they were looking for, and because that expert material was so darn helpful, they decide they like this company and they're going to buy from them now.

Except, whoops. It's your competitor. Because you don't have a website. And they didn't find you. Because you don't have a website.

So basically, you're taking yourself out of the competition before the competition even started and hoping you have the good luck of a customer finding you on the street.

Newsflash: with all of your successful competitors who have websites, that's not going to work.
 

7. Earn Money Even While You Sleep

Think about this.

Your brick-and-mortar business has operating hours. Because, you know, people have families, and lives, and working hours. They work, leave, and go home.

So your brick-and-mortar business can only earn money while the doors are open for business.

A website never stops running. A customer can find you from across the world, or in the middle of the night, and can have an impact on their buying decisions even if you're fast asleep.

Customers have access to your business 24/7 even though your business isn't up and running 24/7.

You're literally earning money while you sleep. Take that, Mom.
 

Take Advantage of Business Website Benefits

Of course, taking advantage of all these awesome business website benefits involves, you know, building a business website.

You don't need to learn how to code. You just need some web experts to make the whole process feel like a breeze.

Optuno breaks the custom web design process into five easy steps. It's based on what suits your needs best, whether you're an e-commerce site or a traditional company site.

Head to our pricing page to see what plan would best help your business live long and prosper.

And if you're ready to get started? Schedule a consultation with us to get this party started.