We all know that in this day and age a lot of business happens on the internet, yet time and time again, people still question the importance and value of having a website. We would like to discuss a few very common reasons that we hear for NOT having a website.
My business hasn’t opened yet.
Have you ever been driving through your neighborhood or noticed a new business go into your local shopping mall area and wonder what is it is going to be? Many times (if done right) the business or development group will put some kind of info about what is to come with a simple “coming soon…” sign telling the public what they should expect at that location. Well, not having a website until AFTER your doors are open is essentially like not having any info about what you are building or planning to start until after you open. The problem with this is the fact that the opening days or weeks is when you need business most. A website is one of the many things that you should do well before your business is actually open to get the momentum and exposure started before day one. In addition, if you start your marketing efforts prior to opening, you will have already gained momentum and have customers ready to use your business, products or services when it opens.
I don’t have any content yet.
We all know the phrase “Content is King” and that phrase is very true, but that doesn’t mean that you should wait for enough content or good enough content to start your website. Even starting a website with minimal content and a signup form for future offers, deals, and more info can get you, potential customers, to then contact when you are ready to start doing business is better than waiting until you have all of your content done. We also know that it’s much harder to start from a blank page than starting with something already in place. Starting with something is better than waiting until everything is right or complete to start. If you start with what you have, you will have a much easier time figuring out what you still need to add or correct. Also, just like your business, your website will always be evolving, changing, and growing. So, unless you plan on having a business that will not grow or evolve, then you should forget about everything being perfect and start with what you have and start growing online. As you get more content, you can add it and build step-by-step.
I have a Facebook or Instagram account, so I don’t need a website.
In the day of social media, many people have started thinking that they no longer need a website. Common arguments for this are: It’s easier to make a Facebook or Instagram account, everyone is on social media so what’s the point of getting a website anyway?, if I get a website then I will have just one extra thing to update, and many others. Social media is a great and powerful tool, but it does not replace a website. The biggest thing people need to remember is that social media is just rented space that can go away or change at any given moment for a plethora of reasons. Algorithms change, pages get deleted because they get flagged for some reason or in some cases no reason. If you are old enough to remember Myspace, then you know that social media pages can go away and everything that you thought was permanent goes away with it. Your website, on the other hand, is your personal online real estate. You set it up how you want it and you control when and how changes are made. It is easier today than it has ever been to make a website and there are very affordable companies that can give you a very attractive and capable website. Also, you can automatically push out your new website updates to your social media giving you a way to drive traffic to your website from your social media pages to your website and increase your ability to capture that business.
Summary
Your website is a very powerful tool and in today’s world, it is where you can control how a customer sees your business, what you offer and how they can hire you or buy your services. Don’t wait to get your online presence to that next level and start growing online. If you don’t know where to begin, let us help you with your next website by visiting our website services page or contact us for more information.