Sanjay Kumar, Negosentro | As a small business owner myself, I am surprised at the number of companies that either doesn’t have a website or have one that is very outdated and not user-friendly. What’s even more unexpected is that 28% of US small businesses and approximately 42% of Midwest small businesses don’t have a professional website.
Like many small business owners, you may believe that your business won’t profit from having a website or that it isn’t within your budget. However, based on the statistics, this can’t be farther from the truth. It doesn’t matter what type of business or organisation you own or are a part of if you want your company to succeed, a professional website is a necessity.
To help you realise the importance of showcasing your business online, I’ve created a list of 7 reasons why your e-commerce business needs an online presence.
#1. Enhancing Your Brand Image
I think this single should be enough objective to build a new website and start marketing online. It’s a crucial factor acknowledging that without a website, blog, or online presence potential customers could begin to doubt how sincere you are about the company.
Today, businesses of all volumes and enterprises are living a thriving online presence. If you don’t have an online presence, then you can’t expect your prospects to take you sincerely, and you will lose business to rivals that do have an aggressive online presence.
#2. 24*7*365 Hour Availability
Even some restaurants, gas stations etc. can manage 24-hour service but it’s not feasible for every business. And that is without the internet. If you have an e-commerce store, then your user can read about your services or products and even can place the order in the night or on weekends too.
Even if you have a traditional offline store but with a website, you can get back to your customer online from anywhere and can also follow up them after one-two days. But without a site, you will lose that potential customer who can likely give profits to your business.
#3. Target Global Market
With your brick and mortar business, you are confined to the number of shoppers who can visit you at any given time, in the only city and even in the single country except you are a massive brand with billion of funding. With a professional website, you can literally have thousands or millions of people can visit your online store at once. Visualize the potential for your business, if you could display your products and services to a possibly unlimited number of users.
#4. The Internet is the New Phone Book
It’s a past thing to find out the telephone number in a phone book. In this modern era, no one uses yellow pages in search for any product or pages; but they search it through Google.
It is essential for your business to show up in Google search results whenever your companies are selling or offering. It will drive the traffic away from you if your competitor is showing up in search results but not you.
Have a look at some of the statistics by Hubspot:
#5. A professional Business Website Gives credibility to your brand
A website is the face of your business or brand. Consumers expect companies to have their own sites, just as they related to hoping companies to have a real physical company address.
Not having a business website inflates inquiries in clients’ eyes. Are you a technological Luddite? Just still haven’t grown around with it? Or such a shoestring startup that you can’t even able to have a website? All questions you don’t want users imagining about your brand.
One more thing, You might have a website, but if it is old or hard to navigate, shoppers will immediately leave your site and might never turn back. Having a professional website will provide your company on-the-spot credibility and will send traffic your way.
#6. E-Commerce Spending is Rising Every Day
In the U.S. consumers spent $453.66 billion on the web for retail purchases in 2017, a 16% increase in comparison of 2016. It is expected to grow over 684 billion US dollars in 2020 and even at a breakneck pace in next coming years too.
In Canada, e-commerce spending was 27 billion US dollars in 2015 and forecasted to reach 40 billion US dollars by the end of 2018. Even Canadian shop more abroad than domestically with more than 65% of purchases going to other countries. So, naturally, shoppers want more online options.
#7. Webrooming can lead more Customers to Your Store
Webrooming is the process of searching for products online and then buy it from the physical store. It is the opposite of showrooming, which can be detrimental to main street business. Many companies go out of the market just because if don’t have a website.
So, if you have a brick and mortar store, start investing in building a website now because e-commerce website helps to increase your offline store profits; thanks to the growing popularity of Webrooming.
More than 90% of shopping is still occurring offline, showing that Webrooming is still most users first shopping choice.
These are some of the compelling reasons to bring your offline business online too. Does your small business need the online presence?
If yes. Contact professional Web Development Company that delivers Web Design/development solutions to move companies forward.
