In this age of digital entrepreneurship, building a website is not considered optional anymore. Businesses are now urged to create websites with the help of a web design company in Johannesburg to reach the right audience and avoid losing customers. While brick-and-mortar stores still exist, e-commerce and digital marketing now dominate the entire business industry. There is no denying the importance of websites for growth and revenue increase.

While businesses still have the option to stick to the old-fashioned way, it’s important to note that the industry is fast-evolving. If you currently have a website or are planning to create one, this guide will run you through the benefits of having a website and the risks involved in not having one.

Benefits of Owning a Website

The benefits of having your own website cannot be stressed enough, and some of them are the following:

Reach Local Customers More Easily

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a tested-and-proven tool by small businesses to attract new clients and obtain more business traction. If you’re targeting a specific area such as Johannesburg, for example, you can always utilise SEO to your advantage. When customers try to look for your products and services in a search engine, you can use the best SEO practices to rank at the top of this search engine.

This way, you can reach more leads and convert most of them into loyal customers by returning to your site when necessary.

Save More Money

If you’re planning on cutting costs, converting fully to e-commerce is the best way to do so. Brick-and-mortar stores involve numerous operating expenses such as utilities, rent, and staff wages. Getting a web design company in Johannesburg to create a website for your business can help you eliminate these expenses and lower your prices for your customers.

Better Credibility

A great online presence is often associated with great business credibility. Since people are thriving in the modern era today, they tend to distrust or deal away with businesses without an online presence. Customers may perceive your business as a scam if there is no convenient way to contact you or view your offerings. You can’t blame them, either — the world wide web is riddled with scams today, and most people don’t want to take a risk on a digital business without a storefront.

Increased Return on Investment (ROI)

More satisfied visitors could mean more chances of making more sales online. A website serves as your very own physical shop where customers can look around and purchase. Functional and brilliant web design can increase your profits dramatically. If you have a physical shop, then your ROI may double. Ensure that your products and services are presented well on your site to gain more customers.

Obtain Helpful Consumer Insights

Websites contain analytic tools that can help you track customer behaviour you can leverage for business growth. For instance, if you’re looking to get customer insights from your customers in South Africa, you can use these tools to know how your customers found you, their purchases, and their demographics.

You can then incorporate this diverse set of information to improve your strategies and think of a business expansion if the budget permits. A web design company in Johannesburg can help you set up analytics on your website.

Improved Online Presence

What is the first thing customers do when they see an interesting product on social media? They either look it up on the same platform or browse through search engines to find it. You can increase your online presence by anticipating where your prospects would look for your products and services, which is through your website. As mentioned earlier, a better online presence means better credibility. Customers will thank you for having an accessible and functional website for their needs.

Moreover, having an amazing online presence gives you a competitive edge. This is why you should set up photos, reviews, and exact map locations of your physical store on your website for your customers’ convenience.

Effective Marketing and Advertising

Online marketing is the most effective method of putting your products and services out there. A website gives you the power to advertise your business more cost-effectively than completely relying on expensive TV, billboard, or paper ads. Moreover, since people are glued to their phones every day, your brand visibility will increase the more you stay active on social media. Having a website will also give you the opportunity to make use of email marketing.

Share the Latest Updates

Nothing beats a website that engages with their customer through constant updates on promotions, new products and services, and customer rewards programs. Keeping them posted about the latest development on your website will make customers feel more welcome and cared for. Also, there are more chances of increasing sales if your customers are constantly in the loop of your discounts, promotions, and new offerings.

Increase Brand Awareness

With all of these benefits in mind, the ultimate goal is to build brand awareness. Building brand awareness can lead to the success of your business. As long as your customers know that your brand exists and is trustworthy, you will never run out of loyal and potential customers. Once people recognise your brand as an expert in the industry, they will also understand your brand value proposition more clearly.

How You Can Lose Business Without a Website

Now that you’re aware of the numerous benefits having a website brings to the table, below are some ways you can lose business without a website.

Lose to Competitors

We are no longer in an era where customers have to travel far places just to look for products and services to purchase. Gone are the days when hard copies of maps were necessary to locate business establishments. Nowadays, people will just browse through their phones for these businesses and reach out to them for answers.

If your competitor has a website and you don’t, it will be an easy battle to win for them. They can easily convert your customers into their own. This is why even long-term businesses build websites — due to the impending threat that their loyal customers and patrons may shift to another company later on.

Damage to Reputation

If you don’t have a website, there’s no way for your potential customers to check your portfolio, reviews, and even contact information. They will perceive your business as non-credible and complete their transactions elsewhere. This will damage your reputation in the long run as word-of-mouth may spread that your business is inaccessible and unwilling to communicate.

No Customer Rapport

Without a website, there’s no other way to appease your customers and build a strong and healthy relationship with them as a company. How can you reach out to all of your customers in South Africa if you don’t have a sort of medium to do so? This is why websites have a “Contact Us” page. Through this, customers will feel more accommodated and welcome to try your products and services.

Lack of Analytics

Having a website means you have full access to its analytics — from a customer clicking your website to the completion of a sales transaction. Without a website, you will have little to no opportunity to improve your strategies and enhance your business operations. There may be some tools that can show basic analytics, but they’re not enough data to help you.

Remaining Stagnant

In a nutshell, without a website, you’ll remain stagnant. Remember that stagnant water evaporates, and the next thing you know, your business will begin to lose traction and relevance in the market. Losing business is a nightmare for all entrepreneurs, and you would not want that to happen simply because you don’t have a website.

Grow Your Business With a Website

Now that you know the benefits of having a website and the risks of not having one, you can decide what’s best for your business. If you have an existing website for your customers in South Africa, then all you have to do is improve it to cater to your audience’s needs. If you don’t have one yet, it’s time to reevaluate your business choices and consider growing your business with a great eCommerce website.

We are a web design company in Johannesburg, here for all your marketing and web design needs. Get a website quote that works for your budget today!