10 benefits of having a business website
Having a website for your business in 2024 is a necessity. There are many benefits of having a website for your business such as having a better online presence.
The good news is that creating a website today is easier than ever. You can create your website with minimal technical knowledge or leave it to the professionals to design and develop your website.
At Honeycomb Web Design, we provide services ideal for small businesses in Australia to help them set up their website and have an effective online presence.
Why every business should have a professional website
In 2024, much of our interactions and commerce are done online. It is expected that by 2025, 25% of world commerce is going to take place online.
In Australia, about 15% of the retail market is online. These numbers tell us that there is a great opportunity for businesses that have an online presence.
Here we are going to break this down and provide you with 10 benefits of having a website for your business in 2024.
On this page
Online presence
First and foremost, having an online presence for a business website is crucial. Simply being online and making a presence could lead to opportunities.
Search engines are where customers look for products and services, and even if they know you they will look for your website to find more information about your business.
Social media platforms are a great way to have an online presence, but as you know having a consistent and effective presence on social media requires a lot more time and effort. You will need to post regularly and if you have tried keeping a social media account you will know that it is much easier said than done.
Websites on the other hand are easier to create and maintain. They may not have the same kind of effectiveness as social media accounts but they are effective nonetheless.
It is a more solid approach to establish a good website first before diversifying your online presence to social media and other platforms. Once you have a website you can use tools such as Google Ads to attract potential customers with a relatively high return on investment.
Credibility and Professionalism
Having a professional website brings a level of credibility to your business and brand. This is extremely important if you are a small business or start-up. The first thing potential clients look at before engaging with you is your website.
This will let them know that you are a legitimate business with a location. It is recommended that you include an ‘About us’ and ‘Contact us’ page with relevant information. Including information about the team behind the business will also improve your credibility by giving your brand a human face.
Also, you can clearly inform users about the services and products that you provide, whether you are a B2B or B2C business. This will improve the quality of the leads you generate as users will know exactly what you can do for them and what you can’t.
Marketing and Advertising
Online platforms today are one of the main mediums for advertising and marketing. Tools such as Google Ads and Google Analytics provide you with powerful marketing abilities. You get to tap into a massive global market of users on the web and with analytics tools you can analyse and understand how users are interacting with your website and even use the available data to target them with marketing messages.
Having a business website is the first step to realising these potentials and taking advantage of them. Without a website, it is much harder to tap into the data analytics available on platforms like Google Analytics, allowing you to find out more about your potential users and their online behaviours.
You can also run highly effective advertising campaigns online with Google Ads. Here, you will need to invest in the ads but the return on investment on that will prove to be effective in the long run.
Search Engine Optimisation
SEO is sometimes thought of as “free marketing” but as we all know there is nothing free in business and marketing. You will need to invest a lot of time and it’s best to consultation from professionals. That’s if you are not hiring professionals for your SEO work.
Nonetheless, SEO strategies are a great way to get clients and grow your business online. You will need to curate content on your website and answer your client’s queries and it all starts with having a professional website.
E-commerce Opportunities
If you are running a retail business, a website's biggest feature is undoubtedly an e-commerce platform.
Today, creating and maintaining an e-commerce website is easier than ever. And with the rapid advancement of AI technology, likely it will only get easier from now on.
Platforms such as Shopify are powerful online stores that help you sell and market your products.
But you don’t need to go for the more pricey options to set up your website. If you are not a big business you can use other platforms that are more cost-effective and allow you to set up safe banking transactions and an inventory.
Of course, you can use social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to sell items as well, but having a website for your retail business will be a game-changer.
Branding Possibilities
Having a professional website is like having a dedicated online storefront that you can use to create a feel and look for your brand.
This is crucial for creating brand identity and customer experience. Your website can work well with your social media accounts and your advertising to create a consistent brand image.
Implementing this can be as simple as using your brand colours to design your website or linking your social media accounts to ensure your content has a better reach.
Cost-effective Marketing
Creating a website does not have to be expensive.
What ends up being costly is the content that you want to create. However, this is an open field and you can find lots of ways to do everything according to your budget.
A professional website is one of the best and cheapest long-term investments you can make for your business.
It’s important to understand that online growth takes time and it may not be a simple and easy ride. Strategies like SEO will generally take at least 4-6 months until you can see some results. Deciding to establish a website for your business is a great initiative that will lead to a lot of opportunities. And today it is more accessible, easier, and above all cheaper than ever.
Data Collection and Anlaysis
We did mention above your ability to legally collect user data and analyse them for your marketing strategies. This is a powerful tool that is available for you after establishing your website.
You will be able to see how users interact with your data and based on that you can target your potential customers more effectively.
This might seem trivial during the early stages of your business, but once you grow larger having useful data will be the source of great marketing decisions.
Customer Communication
Your retail store or office is only open during working hours, but your website is your storefront at all times. A website allows you to communicate with your customers at all times.
Social media accounts do provide you with constant communication as well, but the main difference between social media and website is ‘user intent’. This means that users are often on social media to be entertained and they may come across your content but that does not mean they are potential leads or customers.
A website, however, is more likely to attract users to seek your product or service. Therefore, the communication there will be highly significant.
You can do most of your sales work on your website based on the messages that you communicate with the users. You have a big seasonal sale? Put it on the website. Do you want to let people know how your process works? Put it on your website.
This simple act will enhance your sales funnel and productivity immensely. It will increase the quality of your leads because you will deal with customers who have an idea about what you do, what you have, and how you can help them.
Global Reach
Online a physical store that is restricted to geographical boundaries, a website can be accessed by users around the world. This means more business potential!
With easier and cheaper shipping systems and an online culture that allows people to connect online, you can find your potential customers online anywhere.
Investing in a website opens the door for customers you may not think about if you are a small business and just starting. The world today is more interconnected than ever and the internet is where you want your brand to make its mark. It all starts with having a professional website.
Conclusion
In summary, having a professional website allows you to establish credibility, and communicate your branding and marketing messages easier with customers around the world, and you can take advantage of the available data to better understand and adjust your marketing activities.
Every professional business needs a website that can work as a storefront for the business online. This storefront works 24/7 and boosts your productivity.
Today creating a well-crafted website is much cheaper and easier than ever before. At Honeycomb Web Design, we provide affordable web design services to small and medium-sized businesses. Get in touch with us to learn more about our services.