Online Presence: 4 Reasons you need a website

An online presence and a responsive website is quickly trending from what was once a question to what is now an essential part of any business, small or large.

YOUR ONLINE PRESENCe

I If you are starting out or already running your own business, you will have no doubt asked yourself the question ‘Do I need a website?’ at some point. An online presence is quickly trending from what was once a question to what is now an essential part of any business, small or large.

Ever since the ‘high street’ was conceptualised it was because people knew they needed to show they are open for business. Today the desire is to be seen at the top of Google. Every venture in history has known it needs a shop front, the only thing that has changed is it’s now a digital one.

An online presence is whatever you need it to be. It is a business tool that you can use to transform your business offering or idea into a global hit, or a way to get the message around town. The beauty of the internet is that you can speak to everybody and you are visible to the world.

It’s very easy to get drawn into the chasm of, shall I build it myself? Do I even need marketing? Does my website need to be a good standard? The truth is these questions are normal but don’t waste your time. Cut through it all and plan the steps you need to get from where you are to where you want to be, and I can guarantee that requires a website and one you can’t build yourself.

The first thing to consider is how does an online presence benefit you…

BUSINESSES WITHOUT A WEBSITE & ONLINE PRESENCE LACK TRUST

81% of shoppers conduct research online prior to contacting and making a purchase with a company yet 46% of businesses justify not having a website due to the belief they quite simply don’t need one. These two statistics sadly do not add up. These two statistics alone are are enough to justify building an online presence but then to top that, Weebly conducted research that found that 56% of the consumers said they don’t trust a business without a website! By not having a website, you are instantly and automatically losing the opportunity to get in touch with your audiences, with over 50% of people interested in the products you sell instantly disregarding your business due to the fact you have zero online presence or a website.

• Shoppers that conduct research before purchasing 81%
• People that don’t trust businesses without a website 56%

IT IS A CENTRAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS AND YOUR BUSINESS

A website can be seen by everybody and is a central source of information. This has to be the simplest yet most overlooked reason for having a website. You cannot get better than a central source of information, one you can direct clients via your business cards to, or at your next event/seminar. Most importantly a good website saves you time, people can see who you are and why you exist instantly.

IT LAYS THE FOUNDATION TO BUILD A SOCIAL EMPIRE

Nearly 65% of the UK have Facebook alone. If you combine that with all the platforms out there we can safely say most people have at least one form of Social media. The best thing about having a website and using the technology available is you can really take advantage of what is on offer currently to boost your online presence. All it comes down to is how much effort you want to put into building your online presence as to how many people you connect with.

One of the other huge benefits of owning a website is the insights that can be gained from tracking your website traffic, and then having the ability to make clever business decisions based on the evidence of these interactions. Having an online presence is irreplaceable and will mean you put as much effort as possible transforming what was just a website into a social media machine that guides your business towards success!

IT GETS YOU IN FRONT OF YOUR MARKET

It puts you in front of your customers! A good website is one that puts you in the right position for your customers to hit the buy button. This may seem obvious but people don’t consider the functionality that can change how you manage your offering. Whether that’s just telling more people what you do, integrated CRM solutions to manage your growing client base or re-branding/re-launching your business as a thought leader. As time progresses and as your business hopefully grows, you need to have a solution that is adaptable, forward-thinking and scalable, which is exactly what a well-built website and online presence can be built to be.

Whether you want an off the shelf website or are looking to boost your business, make sure you take advantage of the online resources available. If the question is even there, get in touch! Atomic has wealth of background in marketing combined with business experience stretching 35+ years – we are here to work with you to achieve targets one step at a time!

Enquire below for information about how we can help you with your Web Design, SEO, PPC, Social Media Marketing or even CRM setup.

YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE: 4 REASONS YOU NEED A WEBSITE – WRITTEN BY SIMON THOMAS