In the 21st century the success of a company is directly related to its online presence. Most business owners understand the importance of having a good website but there are a few people who believe that web presence is not really required for the company’s success.
The reasons why a small business owner may not want to have a website can be divided into several categories. Tessella Studio has done a market research and has compiled the following list of most common misconceptions and counter arguments
1 There are not many computer users among our customers.
While analyzing their target clients, real and potential, business owners sometimes believe that they will never visit a website because they either don’t have a computer, or lack necessary skills to surf the Web. The truth is that the modern world computers have long ceased to play the role of the only means to work, access the Internet and search for information.
Today, most people are accustomed to mobile devices – smartphones and tablets. Smartphones are so popular that mobile traffic in recent years has surpassed Web traffic from desktop devices.
Thus, it can be concluded that if your customers use smartphones (which is, basically, a vast majority of customers), they will eventually want to find your website, Social Media page and other information.
2 The website is an expense, and I cannot afford it.
Very often, small business owners try to save on everything, which is reasonable. Sadly, the cost of creating and maintaining a website often falls into the unnecessary cost item as well.
This approach is fundamentally flawed. Let us emphasize that being present in the Web is the main and most basic marketing tool for business. By refusing to create it, you say that you have organized business, but you do not want potential buyers to find it and you will not tell anyone about it. It doesn’t sound very rational, does it?
In addition, the cost of getting your presence in the Web does not have to be large. A simple landing page with all the necessary information as a start will perfectly fulfill its purpose.
3 I do not run an online business and do not need a website.
Business owners who do not sell goods or services online sometimes have the misconception that they do not need a website. Truth is, even if your sales are not carried out online, this does not mean that you should refuse such an important tool.
Buyers, private or business, will be able to find you online, get information about your product or service, make a decision based on this information and contact you by finding the contacts on your page. By not having a website, you cut off your business from a significant flow of customers and reduce your profit, and moreover – miss an opportunity to save yourself some time.
4 I have enough customers, I do not need to expand.
‘I don’t need an influx of new customers’, owners of already established businesses say, ‘why should I invest in a website’?
Attracting new customers is not the only advantage of your own website. On your page you can place detailed information about your business, which will answer the questions of potential buyers. If earlier you had to spend time or even hire staff to provide information over the phone or in person, now you can rely on a website.
You can save resources using the website in many other ways. While there, customers may be able to make a purchase, book an appointment, request for service, make a payment, and do online what previously required time and effort on the part of your employees.
A website can also serve to enhance brand prestige. It gives you freedom to create your own community of loyal customers, which will increase the value of your brand and positively affect your reputation in the long term.
5 Why should I pay for the creation of the site when I can find a friend who will do it for free.
A website is an important tool and if it is poorly done, it will bring little benefit or even cause damage to your brand. A team of specialists, on the other hand, will do their best to understand your business and come up with a customised solution specifically for your needs. A good web designing team will deliver an effective design, while considering resource optimization, SEO, file compression, view on mobile devices, links structure, and many other important, but often overlooked factors which affect Website performance. Each industry has its own nuances that are familiar to professional developers and can go past the attention of an amateur.
Furthermore, it is important to understand that a professional team has their own reputation to build up and maintain, thus, they will always be interested to complete your project and deliver a website which will work as an effective tool for your business. This is not always the case with an amateur or a freelancer, who can’t guarantee that the project will be completed in the first place.
Overall, as with many others, a cheap purchase is often a bad purchase.
We hope that you find this article useful and feel free to reach out to Tessella Studio for any questions regarding an existing or a new website.
Written by Maxim Najib
