By Hardeep Nijher – November 13, 2022.
As we approach the end of 2022, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about why having a website matters, going into 2023. The year end is always a good time to reflect on what has happened during the year as well as a chance to look outwards into the next year.
In the world of the Digital Age, we are constantly connected. Our mobile devices are consistently notifying us with messages from friends and family, breaking news, and notifications from gaming apps our kids installed on our phones when we weren’t looking. The internet is what allows us to stay so connected, and without it, we feel lost and disconnected.
We use the internet to send and receive email, do our banking, pay our taxes, renew our driver’s licence, listen to music, watch tv shows and movies, and find businesses for everyday services that we want like hair salons, grocery stores, and restaurants. Therefore, it is vital now more than ever, as a business owner, to have a website that talks about your services, displays your business hours, and provides contact information as a way for customers to find you, at a bare minimum.
This article goes through 6 reasons why having a website for your business matters in 2023.
1. Meet the expectation of your customers to have a website
Having a website for your business makes your business look professional. It is typically the first thing someone does when they hear about a new company or brand and want to find out more about the products or services the business provides. They look for the company website. There is an expectation by all of us who use the internet daily, that every business, every brand, at a bare minimum has a website where we can go to and look up the details of the product or service, we are interested in. When that is not there and a website cannot be found we feel the business is unprofessional, outdated and maybe the service or product they sell is not so good after all.
Think about when you do this for businesses or new brands you interact with. This thought is embedded in us at a subconscious level. We say things like “I’ll check online” or “let me google the company name to see where they are located” and then look for the company website in the search results.
Therefore, it is important, now more than ever, in 2023 and beyond, to have a website with basic information about the services or products you sell along with your contact information so customers can find your business.
2. Reach a wider audience with a website
This one is simple and related to the first point. If you have a website for your business, you have access to a wider audience than just your local community where you’ve started your business. Chances are that you’ve started your business because there was a demand in the product or service you provide, even if it is just locally. The fact that we are so digitally connected now and have easy access to the internet, the first thing anyone does is search online for the product or service they are looking for. If you don’t have a website for your business, your company will simply not show up in the search results. That is a huge chuck of potential customers you are missing out on and why having a website matters.
3. Give Customers a central place to learn about your products or services
In the world of social media, you may think you don’t need a website if you have a following on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, or any other popular, upcoming social media platform. Well, what happens if one of these platforms suddenly become less popular, or they change their algorithm in such a way that your content is no longer shown as much as it used to?
In today’s world, we all have a short attention span.
Because there is so much availability and variety of products and services out there, we tend to quickly forget about businesses and what they offer. So yes, social media is a great tool to market and advertise your products and services for your business. But in addition to using social media, you need a central place to send your followers to. This is where your website comes into play. Your website is in your control, it will forever live on the internet as long as you keep your website maintained and updated.
However, we do not have the same control over the social media platforms and their algorithms.
Therefore, the aim should always be to send your followers from these various platforms to your website, making them aware that your website exist. This way, they can come back to your website for more information on your products and services. Having a central place for your followers to come back to is one of the reasons why having a website matters.
4. Showcase your work in detail on your website
A website allows you to showcase your past and current projects in detail, which may be harder to do on social media. This is especially true with today’s trend of short form video on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. You need a place to send your viewers at the end of these videos so they can learn more about what you are talking about. Sending them to a blog post on your website for example is perfect because it gives them a central place to view your detailed content. With SEO you have more chances to reach wider audiences, and you fulfill the viewers expectation that you have a website. Do you see all these points tie together?
If you are a Real Estate Agent for example, having your own website allows you to display all your current listings in one place.
If you are a freelance graphic designer, your website allows you to show potential customers your past and current projects allowing them to get a feel for the type of work you do.
As the owner of a web designing company, I have a Portfolio section on my website where I can display the some of the website projects I have done in the past to provide insights into the type of work I’ve done.
These are all practical examples of where a website would come in handy to showcase your work in detail. This would greatly help your customers understand the products and services you provide. Being able to showcase your work through your website is a great reason on why having a website matters.
5. Having a website builds your Brand
The above points also tie into something else that is really important: Building your Brand. Your company website ties together everything you are doing on the internet for your business and provides a place to centralize and build your brand. Building a brand for your company is important. It is the way people will remember you, and your brand will help you build a reputation to get repeat customers as well as recommendations to future customers.
By having a website and a central place for people to come to, you ensure consistency, as well as showcase that you are authentic. You can use the website to define who you are as a company and what you value. A website can showcase your past work and provide information on initiatives you are involved in. You can also talk about your story and who you are as an owner, founder, and or CEO of the company. If you have a team, you can showcase their stories as well and provide your customers ways to interact with them through email or social media. The possibilities are endless, and all of this is what builds your company brand. All this is possible and done much easier if you have a website to highlight this information and why having a website matters.
6. Increase sales & revenue by having your website work for you 24/7
The Covid-19 Pandemic no doubt has accelerated the speed at which the digital world was originally accelerating at. With restrictions on where we could go, the world turned to the internet to order food, buy groceries, make purchases online for everyday items as well as work remotely. Today, the concept of doing things remotely online, has become the common practice.
Therefore, having a website for your business opens up the opportunity for you to make sales and revenue around the clock and across the world without you having to open up physical branches of your business in various cities and countries.
With a website for your business, you have the option to create passive income, to offer parts of your services remotely, to sell your products to a worldwide audience – all within the comfort of your own pajamas.
If you are looking for ideas on how you can implement this for your own business, connect with us. We offer Consulting Services and can provide you guidance on how to take advantage of this acceleration in the digital world and position parts of your business online to generate more income.
Summary
In conclusion, having a website for your business in 2023 and beyond matters, and is vital to make your business look professional and meet the expectations of your customers. Having a website allows you to reach out to a wider audience for your business and provides you with a central place to send all your followers from the various platforms across social media. A website for your business allows you to showcase your work in detail and allows you to build your brand. Finally, having a website for your business provides you the opportunity to increase your sales and revenue by creating opportunities for passive income and reaching worldwide audiences.
Are you ready to embrace the digital revolution? Do you have a company website already or need one created? Is your company website out of date or could use a re-design? If yes, contact us at Nijher Digital and let us help you catch up and embrace the digital world.
