Why is a website so important for your business?
Having a website is a no-brainer element of your digital marketing strategy but why is it so important? And why should you invest in owning a good one?
Here are 4 main reasons why you should invest in developing and owning your own website:
- Showcases your brand boldly and intuitively
- You have control!
- Builds brand and business credibility
- Helps in generating leads
Showcasing your brand
The most obvious reason for investing in a website is to easily and intuitively showcase your brand, services and your contact information. Think of it as an enhanced business card.
With websites, you can add as many pages, photos or videos as you want, which is essential because today users value pictures just as much as text. The secret of successful websites is balance.
Half of the website users (50%) will leave a website permanently if the content is irrelevant or unappealing.
You can share your values, your mission, your vision and bring the user into your amazing world!
You have control!
We know the importance and value of launching an Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Linkedin profile for your business, specifically when it comes to building and growing your community. However, social media platforms are owned by big companies that have their own privacy and user policies. The perfect example
Is Instagram and the updates they regularly make on a whim. Just last week they changed their UI making most of the content illegible and very messy to use.
We all know how frustrating it can be to deal with an algorithm or a platform that is always changing…
When it comes to your website, you always have control. You can take up as much space as you want, animate your text, showcase your services, your products and your company information in any way that you want - even in 3D!
It allows you to exist without depending on a third-party platform. And if you allocate a budget to web development, you can have a team of experts create the website of your dreams. Experts like us ;)
Building credibility
Your website is the perfect space where you can share reliable information, answer customers' questions, anticipate their needs, and bring added value to their business before even working with them.
Today, users expect to find you on the web to help them save time. They will check out who you are, where you’re located, what products you have and/or what services you offer.
Your website is part of your first impression. And the thing about first impressions? You have one chance to make it good.
Industry tip: 30% of people will not consider a business that doesn’t have a website.
Does that mean if you don’t have the perfect website it’s not worth it? No, definitely not.
A simple landing page with an effective catchline explaining what you do, your location and how to contact you is a great start for many. In fact, comprehensively designed websites are not always the way to go. However you approach your web design, the focus should be on making it easy for your customers. First and foremost, make it easy for them to navigate and easily see what you do - 90% of users expect this as a bare minimum.
For example, Joe is lactose intolerant and needs to order a cake and some pastries that are milk-free, delicious and special for his birthday.
He will probably type something like «dairy-free cake Montréal ». If your SEO is good your website will pop up on the first page of Google search results.
Joe will then access your site, verify that your products are dairy-free and if the cakes look good, they’re easy to order online or your shop is close enough for him to pick up in person, he converts and places an order!
He can even start to imagine taking a taste of this delicious classic cake because he saw the picture, the catchline, the ingredients and the benefits.
Your website has done exactly what it is intended to do! Nice!
Generating leads
In the above example, we can see how websites help businesses garner organic traffic through a search engine (such as Google Search or Bing). Maybe you already set up a Google My Business account (GMB), great for reinforcing your position and letting customers know that you exist.
But having a website improves your GMB and searchability since they are all complementary. On your website, you can improve your brand awareness, organically attract and generate leads by sharing relevant information and applying effective call-to-actions, such as Make a Reservation, Order Now, or Subscribe to our Newsletter.
To conclude
When it comes to getting your website up and live, whether you know exactly what you want it to look like/function or you need an expert opinion for the entire project, there are tangible next steps you can take.
You can…
- Not own a website at all. Easy, but not effective in 2022.
- Develop your website yourself using a website builder such as WordPress, Squarespace, Wix and spend a few days building a basic website.
- Hire an expert or an agency who will do it for you, consulting and accompanying you on the, at times very difficult, journey.
Food Algorithm helps food and beverage businesses like restaurants, ghost kitchens, and fine grocers to showcase the best side of themselves.
Take a look at how we do it here.
And then book a discovery call to find out how we can help you develop your website to attract your ideal clients!