As a busy business owner it is so easy to not pay too much heed to your website. After all, you already have plenty of work and so don’t really need one – do you?

You would be wrong to think like this; your website is a vital online marketing tool which keeps you in the public eye 24/7. Even when you are sleeping, it works away, telling current and would-be clients about you. It also provides you with a professional look.

How many times have you looked for a company website, only to find they don’t have one? Chances are you thought them not very in touch with the world and seriously lacking in showcasing their brand.

That’s just a few compelling reasons why your business needs a website.

So don’t let this be you! Your website will also help to bring in new enquires and leads which can be converted into sales to ensure that even during quiet periods, you have plenty of work coming in.

Are you constantly asking yourself “Do I need a website?” or “Does my business need a website?”

Your focus needs to be on digital marketing as there are so many reasons why you need a website. Here we are going to provide you with just a few which could also apply if you already have a site but it is out-of-date or lacking in some way. So, without further ado, before you get going on your website design, take note of our essential tips in order to get it right first time.

Why do I need a website?

  • Communicate with users on the move – these days, having a responsive design incorporated into your website is essential. Unless your web designer constructs a mobile design, you are going to miss out on connecting with so many viewers. According to Google, more than 50% of searches are now made from mobiles. When users land on your site you also need to guarantee them a good mobile experience without them having to mess around with zooming in and out or cope with text falling off the edge of the screen. Fail to provide this and you will definitely lose business, particularly as Google now apply a “Mobile First Index” which ranks your site according to how it performs on a mobile. A good example of a site that is responsive, mobile-friendly, and has a good navigation is this Guitar Junky site. Another great example is this “easy guitar songs” list article from MightyExpert. They start off with a Table of Contents near the beginning of the post to solidify a great mobile user experience right off the bat. After all, it’s much easier to click through a table of contents on mobile rather than scrolling endlessly through a long post. This is then followed by a fully responsive page that resizes elements based on screen resolution. Whether the reader is browsing from a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile phone, all of the page’s elements line up and auto-adjust/auto-resize per the active resolution, making reading the content super easy (this is done through some clever use of CSS with @media queries).
  • Communicate the right message with suitable content – make your content up-to-date, fresh, appealing and relevant. If the words on your site aren’t working hard to convert visitors into clients, you need to get them revamped professionally. Old content can make your site appear stagnant and uncared for and this message will rub off on your business. You also need to ask your web designer to make it easy for you to add new content, whether it be blogs or text on pages, via a user-friendly CMS (Content Management System).
  • Ensure that customers can find what they want – if your client persona has changed over the years then you need to ensure that your website is provides a suitable offering and that it is easy to locate. Make the information on your site valuable and compelling. Does it appeal to a range of individual needs? If visitors cannot find what they want then your site is going to end up being totally ineffective. Take the time to create current user personas before you get your site sorted out and match the content to suit them.
  • View your videos – with 87% of marketers online using video online and the figure constantly rising, you need to get in with the video crowd. As well as using them on your website, incorporate them into your social media pages. Here’s why: YouTube has more than 5 billion video views daily, Facebook 500 million and 82% of Twitter users indulge in the same way. Now that recording and filming is so much easier, there really is no reason not to get involved. With more and more viewers wanting more information in less time, using video just got serious. Get your videos made professionally to engage well and watch your conversions shoot up.
  • Make powerful use of your digital strategy – another imperative; if you don’t already have a digital strategy then you need to take some time out to devise one. At the core of this will be your website. Think of your digital strategy as a process of clarifying the goals for your business going forward based upon marketing online. Include your vision for the future and build in all possible opportunities, taking account of things like social media posts on Facebook and Twitter, building relationships with new and existing clients and telling them about forthcoming new products or services, special offers, deals, interesting stories etc. All of this should centre on your website. Include informational and inspirational videos, high value articles and riveting blogs; the more they get shared, the better. You may also want to build in regular newsletters to your customers using content that has been shared on your website. The more content you create and distribute via different channels, the more attention you will win.

Make your website as powerful as it should be – More reasons to have a website for you or your business:

You should consider your business website the central hub of your business online, using it as a platform from which you can connect and communicate. By ensuring that all digital activity leads back to your website and getting it looked after by a professional website developer, visitors will convert into customers. If you are going to take the world of digital seriously and get real results that are tangible and valuable, then you need a website that provides powerful results.

User metrics are key when it comes too building a great website and if there’s a compelling reason as to why you need a website then the compelling reason to pay attention to user metrics is due to the advantage you get with SEO.

User metrics is all about how great of an experience people have on your website, so for example how long they remain on your website, how many pages they visit etc.

Coming back to video – Video is a great way to keep users engaged on your website as a video can be 2-3 minutes long, they are easier to digest than reading text and those 3 minutes spent on a page watching your video will enhance your site on time metrics.

That’s why your business does need a website

There are far more compelling reasons for you or your business to have a website than not. The benefits of having a website to recap include:

  • Communication with visitors on the move
  • Communicating the right business message to your audience through your website
  • Ensure your customers can find what they need

So, if you want or are thinking about getting a website for your business then that is just some of the benefits you and your business will enjoy.

By taking account of some of the points that we have given in this article and adding a few of your own – plus those offered by your website developer – you will make a great ROI on your website, making all of your efforts pay off.

No matter how busy you are or how demanding your business, it really does make sense to pay attention to your business website. By choosing a website designer who is skilled and adept at what they do and can help you to build an impressive digital strategy, your website will become much more than just an online series of pages, telling people about what you do and who you are.

As the world of digital gets more and more competitive and businesses vie for top positions in Google rankings, by paying attention to detail and ensuring that your website is on point, you will be able to reap the many benefits.