Can a small business get customers without website?
Small business is considered to be the two wheel of a cart that keeps the business industry moving in Australia. According to the counts done by ABS in 2015, there were 2066,806 small businesses in Australia. And, the number just keeps on piling. However, the survival rate of small business accounts for 42 percent since 2011. Now there are different factors that count for the insolvency. Few being the inability to predict the cost and take suggestion from business consultants. Another reason is the ineptitude to generate enough traffic & buzz around the business. And this is where most small businesses fail miserably.
Small business owners are still relying on the same traditional process of marketing that’s a decade old. They don’t put value on having a website. What worse is they don’t even care about it. So, I’m here to answer the most circulated question of small business industry.
Does small business need a website and can they get customers without having one? The answer for both is “yes.” A finding says still 46 percent of small businesses don’t have a website. So, the numbers tell that small businesses are surviving without it as well. But, why don’t they opt for website or spending on paid advertisement? It’s most likely because they don’t need it. They don’t understand it. Or, at some point they had used it but got hang of it due to low return stream. What I have seen most small business do during my consultation is they see many big companies spending millions on it and they try to replicate it. It doesn’t work that way. Because they don’t have enough budget, proper strategy, and direct response advertising campaign.
How does small business make customers without a website? They depend mostly on word of mouth, mailing lists, referrals, and social media. Since small business groove locally, they take the benefits of their friends, and family to get the words out. Smart small business owners go as far as working on traditional marketing like distributing pamphlets, placing ads on magazines etc. But as all of these things create problems with plant, equipment, and most importantly capital, they are reluctant to invest on paid advertisement. During consultation I have also found that some business owners are really smart when it comes to business making. They do make odd cold calls to land business from corporate clients. Although I’m not a big fan of outbound marketing, but anything that keeps the engine rolling should be great.
Penultimate Question: Do you need a Website for Small Business? Yes, you surely need a website to drive untapped traffic, leads, and customers to your business. I’m not saying this because we are a small biz web design agency. I’m saying this because we have long list of data that proves it. 81% of shoppers research online before buying anything which sums up the importance of having an online presence. There are many affiliate marketers who earn millions by using targeting buyer focused keywords. And, if they can earn it by just suggesting the product, think how much you can earn by selling it? Now, let’s boil down to 3 major benefits of having website for small business: Establishing Credibility
Most business owners make mistakes by thinking that they need a website just for search mechanism. But it doesn’t work that way. Even if you rely on more traditional method of client earning, website is the paramount to building your credibility. Whenever someone mentions your brand name through word of mouth, the first thing they do is check on the internet. Do you think they would just come directly your store and play “knock knock.”? No, they search for you, check reviews, analyse your website. Then, they move to the decision process. So, if your users can’t find you, you are losing them. Forms personal & loyal relationships
A website has the potential to form personal and loyal customers. When a user goes through your website and check the about us page, they get to know about you personally. If there is something unique about your product, or a vision that has a striking value, you can share it on your website. This automatically connects with your customers.
A hotel that shows a virtual tour on their website gets more booking than a hotel without any online presence. These small things along with client satisfaction can help to generate more loyal relationship. Local market domination
If you have a website, you have the potential to be a whale that dominates the local sea. Your website with proper SEO and paid advertisements can reap a ton of benefits. Whether you are a local plumber, or a cafe owner, if you have a website you have a chance to get a ton of customers through it. People nowadays search through internet first before moving to the store. So, if you don’t have a website, you are missing potential prospects. Users coming from search are qualified leads because they want solutions to your problem. If you can solve their problems, then you will get the customers. Wrapping Up What I know from my years of consultation is that small business does get clients if they are smart enough with their offline marketing. But, by having website and SEO strategies planned
out, they are able to generate a ton of benefits. So, if you are a small business who doesn’t still have a website, I suggest you to have one. So, what do you think? Has your business been able to generate clients without a website? Do let us on the comments below.