I’m Only a Small Business. Do I Really Need a website?
“Do small businesses need a website?” It’s a common question and there’s always a logic behind it: a small business often relies on local business and often has very narrow margins. In this sort of context, does investing in a page on the web make sense?
We specialise in web design for all sizes of businesses, large and small, so you might expect us to say that yes, we do think that web design services for a small business are pretty essential in the contemporary market. If you’re a small business owner, it’s definitely worth thinking about what a website can achieve for you.
Web Design for Small Business: The Basics
If you’re based in a particular local area and used to word-of-mouth referral it may seem that being searchable worldwide isn’t necessary. But the truth is a bit more complicated – and the cost a lot less than you might think.
For starters, in today’s digital world the internet is local: from Google Reviews to Facebook, Yell.com to Maps, having an online presence is about people knowing where you are when they log on to their smartphones.
For a microbusiness, a website is somewhere to send local people when they find you online – on social media, on search, on a map. It’s also possible to build this kind of site very cost-effectively – and, crucially, professionally. Let’s look into the benefits in more detail.
- We Trust Businesses With Websites
In today’s market, when we are all online so much, not being able to find a company on the web can make it seem less than well established. Microbusinesses understand that trust is everything – customers come to you for the personal touch, and because they know you’ll treat them right. Forging those relationships is crucial. And websites can help.
Your site may only be a single page, or just a small brochure site – a place to put a few images and some contract information. What matters is that it exists, and that people can click on it to read a little more about you.
A website looks official, and it requires a certain level of effort and authority that a Facebook page or Instagram account simply doesn’t. It inspires confidence – and therefore custom.
- Websites Improve Conversions
On which note: a website that is properly branded, exudes reliability, and is easy to navigate will encourage your existing customers to buy. Perhaps they’ve popped by your premises or seen your posts on Facebook, or received your leaflet through their door. The first thing they will do is find your site and look around. If it does its job right, then the customer will consider buying from there.
Equally, having a website means you can optimise it for search engines – and that means you’ll get new customers through it, too. Optimising for the service or product you offer means you’ll get quicker returns … and more qualified leads.
With a website in place, you can also run an ad campaign that directs users to your page: whether on Google or Facebook, you can relatively inexpensively find users in your area and point them towards your professional, compelling online shop window. It’s there to be browsed all day every day!
- Your Website Is Your Calling Card
In other words, you should think of your website as the centre of your marketing web. From paper flyers to Facebook ads, Instagram posts to Google listings, all of these channels will lead your users to your website – a space you control yourself, and which you can tailor exactly.
With Facebook pages or even Wix websites there is only so much you can do with them. They’ll never look totally unique to your business … and this means you’re never in total control of your brand. But a professional website can inexpensively express your business just right.
From your photography to your logo to the fonts you use and colours you prefer, a website is completely configurable. It creates a space in which your business can make its best case to your customers.
So How Can We Help?
From our head office in Coventry, UK, we’ve spent decades helping small businesses of every kind put their best digital foot forward. Most recently, for instance, we’ve worked with both Warwickshire Lavender Farm and Dylanwad Wine to build websites that enable them to do business better.
We understand what being a microbusiness is like – and we take time to understand our clients’ specific circumstances. We don’t build websites that they don’t need – we design digital platforms from which you can look your best.
That’s why we have web packages created especially for small business owners, enabling them to benefit from our web and design expertise at a price that is highly affordable and fantastic value. With special payment packages designed specifically for the budget of small businesses, our web design services for small business are designed to be accessible – and effective.
In today’s world, even the smallest businesses can benefit from web design – but it should be the right kind. We know what that looks like – drop us a line today about our web design services for small businesses like yours.
