It is actually quite common for small business owners to believe that their company does not require an official website.
The truth however, is that not only are they restricting themselves from online exposure, but they are also letting their competition reign freely over the web, which is especially important if the company happens to operate in a local area or region.
But isn't a website expensive?
Although perhaps ten to fifteen years ago, a good quality website may have cost thousands of pounds, these days it is much more common for a bespoke website to be built for as little as £500.
On top of this, depending on what exactly is required, maintenance for a business website can be as low as £30 a month.
Can a small business make money back from a website?
Certainly. Depending on how it is used, a company website can serve as both an advertisement and a mode of communication between a company and its customers – and that’s if it doesn’t happen to sell anything online.
Building a relationship between a customer and a business is not only key in real-life, but also online, which we shall discuss next.
Can a website help with advertising?
Although many business owners concentrate on finding new and prospective customers from a website, it can also serve to keep current, loyal and returning customers informed of any changes, offers and competitions that may be implemented.
Keeping a business website also offers opportunities on social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, not to mention online directories such as Yell.
Once a company has any if not all of these, it can then focus on branding, advertising and interacting with customers online.
Will I show up in Google or Bing?
If your website has been optimised by a professional and responsible company, you will almost certainly show up in search engine results. In fact, many people pay for a marketing process known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), that helps guide companies to the front and beginning of search results.
Even for a local company, it is important that they show up in search engine results as in fact, 35 per cent of all internet searches are local. On top of this, 25 per cent of all commercial searches are conducted by users looking for local merchants and dealers.