The internet has changed dramatically over the past decade. More people than ever before are using the web to find local businesses, compare products, read reviews and make purchasing decisions. Whether you run a small family business or a growing company, your website is quickly becoming one of your most valuable marketing tools.
In 2010, having a professional website is no longer a luxury reserved for large organisations. Customers increasingly expect every business to have an online presence, and those without one risk losing opportunities to competitors who are easier to find online.
Internet Usage Continues to Grow
The number of internet users continues to increase every year, with millions of people now going online every day from home, at work, and even on their mobile phones.
Instead of reaching for a telephone directory, many consumers now turn to search engines such as Google to find local businesses, products and services.
If your business cannot be found online, potential customers may never discover you.
Your Website Is Your Online Shop Window
For many people, your website provides the first introduction to your business.
Just as customers judge a physical shop by its appearance, they also form opinions based on the quality of your website.
A professional website should:
- Clearly explain your services.
- Display your contact details.
- Be easy to navigate.
- Reflect your company's image.
- Give visitors confidence.
A poorly designed or outdated website can leave the wrong impression.
Build Trust With Potential Customers
People are naturally more comfortable doing business with companies they trust.
A professional website allows you to demonstrate your experience by including:
- Information about your business.
- Customer testimonials.
- Photographs.
- Frequently asked questions.
- Company history.
- Examples of previous work.
Providing useful information helps reassure visitors that your business is established and reliable.
Be Available Around the Clock
Unlike a traditional office or shop, your website never closes.
Potential customers can browse your products and services at any time, day or night.
Even when your business is closed, your website continues to promote your company and generate enquiries.
Reach New Customers
A website allows your business to reach far beyond your immediate local area.
People moving into the area, planning future purchases, or searching for specialist services can all discover your business online.
Even local companies can benefit from attracting customers who would otherwise never have known they existed.
A Cost-Effective Marketing Tool
Compared with many traditional forms of advertising, a website offers excellent value for money.
Unlike newspaper adverts or printed leaflets, which have a limited lifespan, your website can continue to attract visitors every day.
Keeping information up to date is also much quicker and less expensive than reprinting marketing materials.
Search Engines Are Becoming More Important
Search engines continue to play an increasingly important role in how customers find businesses.
Appearing in search results allows companies to reach people who are actively looking for their products or services.
Adding useful content and keeping your website updated may help improve its visibility over time.
Stay Ahead of Your Competition
More businesses are investing in their online presence each year.
Companies that establish a professional website now may gain an advantage over competitors who delay embracing the internet.
Being online demonstrates that your business is modern, accessible and ready to serve today's customers.
Planning a first website around real customer questions
Consider a fictional trades business that receives telephone enquiries after recommendations. Potential customers repeatedly ask which services it provides, which areas it covers and how to arrange an estimate. A first website can answer those questions before the call. The brief should make each answer easy to find and provide a contact route that the business can reliably handle.
Begin with a small page inventory rather than an ambitious list of features. A homepage can explain the business and its main services. Individual service information can clarify what is included, common limitations and the details needed for an enquiry. A contact page should provide accurate business information and explain the next step. Photographs and testimonials need appropriate permission and should relate to the services being described.
For a worked acceptance test, ask someone unfamiliar with the business to find a suitable service and prepare an enquiry. Notice whether the person can identify the area covered, understand what happens after contacting the company and locate any important restrictions. If they cannot, improve the wording or structure before adding another page.
Plan who will maintain opening information, service availability and contact details. The website should use accounts and a domain arrangement that the business can recover if an individual becomes unavailable. Establish how an incoming enquiry will be checked, assigned and answered, including a fallback if the form or mailbox develops a problem.
After launch, keep a short record of recurring questions and the enquiries that become suitable work. Those observations can guide the next improvement. A useful first website does not need to anticipate every future marketing channel; it needs to make current customer decisions clearer and provide a dependable route to the business.
Prepare a handover that includes the approved page inventory, contact process and maintenance responsibilities. An editor should know which service facts they may change and which require confirmation. Check that a routine content correction can be made and previewed without breaking the enquiry route. Keeping those instructions with the website helps the first version remain useful after the original project team has finished, and gives a later redesign a clearer starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Why does internet usage continue to grow?
The number of internet users continues to increase every year, with millions of people now going online every day from home, at work, and even on their mobile phones. Instead of reaching for a telephone directory, many consumers now turn to search engines such as Google to find local businesses, products and services. If your business cannot be found online, potential customers may never discover you.
Why is our website our online shop window?
For many people, your website provides the first introduction to your business. Just as customers judge a physical shop by its appearance, they also form opinions based on the quality of your website. A professional website should: Clearly explain your services; Display your contact details; Be easy to navigate; Reflect your company's image; Give visitors confidence. A poorly designed or outdated website can leave the wrong impression.
How should we build trust with potential customers?
People are naturally more comfortable doing business with companies they trust. A professional website allows you to demonstrate your experience by including: Information about your business; Customer testimonials; Photographs; Frequently asked questions; Company history; Examples of previous work. Providing useful information helps reassure visitors that your business is established and reliable.
What should we know about a cost-effective marketing tool?
Compared with many traditional forms of advertising, a website offers excellent value for money. Unlike newspaper adverts or printed leaflets, which have a limited lifespan, your website can continue to attract visitors every day. Keeping information up to date is also much quicker and less expensive than reprinting marketing materials.
Why are search engines becoming more important?
Search engines continue to play an increasingly important role in how customers find businesses. Appearing in search results allows companies to reach people who are actively looking for their products or services. Adding useful content and keeping your website updated may help improve its visibility over time.
Looking Ahead
The internet is likely to become even more important over the coming years.
As broadband connections improve and more people begin using smartphones to browse the web, businesses with professional websites will be well positioned to benefit from these changes.
Investing in your online presence today could help support your business for many years to come.
