There are many reasons why a business should have a website. The reasons may change with technology improvements and by shifts in consumers needs. Here are ten good reasons today why your business would benefit from having a website.
Provide better service to your customers through your website.
Provide answers to those repetitive questions that customers ask by setting up your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). FAQs have many advantages incuding:
reducing customer service costs
ensuring all staff have consistent responses to FAQs
reducing risk of visitor leaving the website, particularly out-of-hours
FAQs need to be maintained reegularly as new questions arise and your business changes.
A website address is valuable.
A website address can be easier to remember than a phone number or street address. They can be:
used on marketing material (business cards, pens, mugs, car signage)
kept when you re-locate, unlike phone numbers and addresses
used to promote your brand - use mulitple domains
A website provides credibility.
A website can give your business credibility and instill confidence in your new customers who are not familiar with your company.
stating business philopsophies
providing testimonials from other customers
including business history
sharing news and press announcements
providing staff biographies & experience
A website helps customers find your business.
Customers can come from unlikely places.
reach customers outside your geographic area
google - most popular seacrh engine
leverage off other businesses through links
The top search engine by volume of searches in Australia for 4 weeks to 24/04/2010 is www.google.com.au on 84.26%
Automate parts of your business through self-servicing on your website.
Many businesses have tedious activities that can be automated through a website. This helps to reduce costs while also providing a better service. Ideas include:
selling spare parts/DIY training
download manuals/whitepapers
sending automatic renewals from the website
pre-ordering of products
Get website feedback.
A website can be used to get feedback from customers and visitors through non-intrusive online forms:
allowing customers/visitors to provide feedback without confrontation
cutting of costs - no handling of incoming calls
to track different parts of the business
A website can let you be inventive.
A website can let you try new ideas without high risks.
survey customers about what they want
trial new/different products
sell last seasons stock
offer promotions/click to join
A website can tell you a lot about your visitors.
You can find out what your visitors are doing, without them even knowing.
