Does your business need a website? Yes, your business needs a website. If you’re asking then you’ve probably already thought about it and want to know the pros and cons of owning and operating one before you start making the effort.
Benefits of a Website What you do know is that they can be incredibly useful for selling products. What you don’t know is how to buy a website name, design and program one to do what you want, and whether or not it is worth the time you put into it. If your business sells products then it should be a no brainer to do whatever it takes to get a website up and running. The online market allows you to sell to a much larger customer base that could come from anywhere around the world. It helps with local business as well as it allows people to order your products from the comfort of their homes. A website will also increase your ability to attract new customers. Say a potential customer here’s about your store and wants to find out more about you. They will likely go to Google to find out more rather than visit your store front. On the website they can learn more about who you are, what your business does and get all of the specifics: products, store hours, address—so a smart phone can Google maps it, and phone number. It will make information about you easily available. Your own website will also bring a sense of legitimacy to your business. An operating website shows your customers that you are successful and trustworthy.
Websites and Customers There’s something about being able to find your company online that makes you real to them. If there’s nothing there, then you are either too small to be worth their trip or not worth the effort to find. People have grown to expect answers in a matter of seconds. This is reflected in the fact that the first website suggested by a search engine gets an overwhelming majority of clicks. The customer loses interest if they don’t get what they’re looking for right away. Instead of researching the issue more, they are more likely to seek out a new solution, making you lose a potential customer at the get go. Who knows how many of those have been lost already. To capture those people in the future, it’s best to get a functional website up as soon as possible.
Now you may have doubts about this, especially if you’re already well-established in the community. You already have enough of a reputation to bring people in for the past few decades and your business has done just fine. Now that is a point to consider, especially if you have no desire to expand into more stores. When you have all the business you need, then why worry about the site?
Cost of Running a Domain This is a valid concern. As a business owner, you’ve learned that making unnecessary purchases can be like a leech on your business’s lifeline of money. Luckily, a domain name for a site doesn’t usually run higher than $20 - $100 to operate every year. Some domain names will be auctioned off for higher prices, but you can usually find a way around them. The only other expenses to be spent would be to hire a website designer. If you learn how to do it yourself, those expenses would die as well. Booktup has built online scheduling software that can complement your website when you need to set up appointments. They offer your business the ability to go about work as normal while it handles your schedule for you.