Why A Website Is An Important Investment For Small Businesses

A website for any business is valuable, but for small, local businesses it can be crucial. A website is a digital marketing foundation that helps you can attract loyal customers, grow your business over time and stay marketable and visible online.

Websites allow you to distinguish yourself from your competitors, especially to your potential customers who rely on the internet to search for company or product. A website can be one of the most important ways to share information and build credibility with your audience.

In short, local small businesses with a website perform better than those that don’t.

There is a wide variety when it comes to designing, developing and launching a website, from spending less and trying to do it all yourself, to hiring freelancers, a small agency, or even large-scale marketing firm to produce fancy imagery, videos and copy in a custom design and code.

But for the most part, the cost of a website comes down to four general price ranges:

• Under $500: This usually means having one person design and develop it. It’s usually a small microsite with a select few pages covering basic information about your business, products and services.
• $500-$1500: In this range small business owners can expect strategic insight, copywriting and possibly new photography or social media marketing along with the cost of design and development. Some basic customization could also be possible.
• $1,500-$3,000: This is the ideal range for most small business websites that will get you a comprehensive, thoughtful input on design, development, copy, and more. This supports business goals and social media integration and includes calls to action, landing pages and new photography or infographics.
• Over $3,000: This is the cost of larger websites and/or those with e-commerce functionality, both of which cost more in design and development.

Why do I need a well built & designed small business website?

Building a website does not have to be stressful or break the bank. We can help you build a website that is within your budget and brand. One that is built to function on all devices, easily update and maintain, is visually compelling to your audience and contains written content and keywords that will keep you ranked in Google search engine results (so people can find you).

Here are 5 reasons why a well designed and developed website is a good investment for a small business…

1. Establishes credibility. If you have a website, you’re credible. If you don’t have an online presence, you lose that credibility. This is one of the biggest reasons you should have one. But don’t forget, having a website online isn’t enough. You need to keep it up to date. Now that we live in a digital era, customers expect to see updated designs, creative layouts and websites that are easy to navigate on any device. If you’re running an ancient site, you begin to lose that credibility again.
2. Builds your brand. Your website design, logo design and marketing materials all help build your brand. A website is a huge part of a company’s image.
3. You don’t lose to your competition. Competition is digital these days, which is one reason why small businesses rely on websites. While creating a Facebook profile, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter are great for your business, social media alone is not enough. If you rely on third-party platforms to build your brand online, you lose control of your brand’s visibility.
4. You can showcase your products and services. More and more consumers are shopping online which means customers that find your products can purchase them instantly! Using your website to sell products can be more complicated, however you can always showcase your products and services online to drive customers into your store.
5. Connect with your customers. A website is a great place to gather leads, or customer information. It’s an easy way to collect information about your customers to use in future interactions. For example, you might have a form where you can gather customer contact information, which you can then use to send out emails or newsletters, or to notify them of upcoming sales, events, etc.

Designing and developing websites is one of our favorite projects to help our new clients with.

A website is a solid investment that not only builds brand awareness but is a foundation for all digital marketing.

Interested in a new website design? Or learning about easy ways you can improve your current website?

Sign up today for a FREE WEBSITE AUDIT.