When your business is in its early stages, you may be excused for thinking that it is not imperative to have a website. With all your start-up costs, the free goodness of social media is an attractive option to advertise your products and services before committing. But, there comes a point in all businesses where you may be losing money if you don’t have a website. There are so many positive ways a  website can enhance and propel your business. Here are 9 reasons why you need to get yourself a website, pronto!

1) Showcase your products and services

Visitors to your website are already interested in your offering, and they want to know MORE than what they have seen on your flyer or your Instagram profile. A website is your opportunity to give your potential customer a lot more information on what you can offer them. A well written and designed services page and great product descriptions will excite your audience and convince them to BUY.

2) Your competitors all have one

The competitors in your space all have websites, but you don’t. Where do you think a customer wanting to purchase is going to go? Google of course, so they can weigh up their options. If you don’t have a website, you won’t show up in search results, which equals NO SALE. People cannot get more information on your business unless they pick up the phone, and who wants to do that these days anyway?! Your competitors will come across more professional, thorough, and as industry leaders, which leads us to the next reason.

3) Credibility

Customers want to know that businesses they are buying from are legitimate. They need to trust that they won’t be cheated, they will get what they pay for, and that the item or service will be as described. They also need to know that others have been happy with the business’ service. Good ways to demonstrate credibility on your website are: customer testimonials, badges, partner logos, case studies, and through showcasing your portfolio. It is also important to ensure you have website legals such as a privacy policy and terms of service.

4) It is a business asset

A website is an investment in your business. It can be your hardest working employee if built well. Therefore, it counts as an asset along with your inventory, email list, buildings, and equipment. If you sell the business, your website can be counted as an asset with a value.

5) An alternative point of contact and communication channel

A user could land on your website organically via many different ways such as Facebook ads, Google search etc. They may not know your brand, and do not wish to keep clicking around to find answers to their queries, so they use the contact form on your website. This is often a preferred method of contact for those customers who are time poor, do not use social media, or prefer to remain anonymous. This goes hand in hand with our next reason:

6) Customer convenience

Not all customers want to order a product via Instagram DM! They may not want to wait for a response, they simply want their purchase quickly and quietly, without the back and forth. Give your clients the option to choose their preferred method of communication/purchase that is convenient to them.