Does my business really need a Website?

In a relatively small economy and business community, such as ours in Namibia, is it really a necessity for a small to medium enterprise (SME) to have a website? With Namibian commerce and business practices still fairly new to the digital age, is having a web presence actually that important and worth the cost and efforts associated with maintaining that presence? Will having a website noticeably impact and benefit my business in such a way that it would be ‘bad’ business not to have one?

These are million dollar questions (quite literally) that over the last few years small and medium business owners in Namibia have been asking. Not only here in Namibia but throughout the world, these questions have been at the heart of the digital business age. Consider the following ten reasons why, if you have a business, you need a website.

1. Count your clients

The limitations of a physical premises from which your business operates means that’s not only are you  limited to a smaller client base as determined by ‘feet’ that pass through, but you are also limited to the amount of information obtained from those clients and potential clients. In the digital business age, more so than ever, information is power.

With a website, you will be able to measure every click and page view with data that is simple to gather and easy to interpret. Without much time spent daily or weekly, you can see how long people spent on your site, what pages they viewed, and how they got there. This information essentially alters the methods in which you are able to market directly to your audience. By continually tweaking your website, you will be constantly increasing your chances for success by concentrating on the things which work best.

2. Your competitors have or will have a website

Competition in the business sector is often regarded as the life blood that keeps businesses and markets alive. A simple reality is that your competitors either have and are benefiting from having a presence online or will soon have their own website. By not having your own functioning website and online presence, you essentially are flying the white flag on the digital business battlefield, giving your competitors advantages that ultimately will lead to loss in your market share and bottom-line.

3. Open for business 24/7

Having a website is not only like having a business that is open to your clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, it is also like having an employee who will work for next to nothing day in and day out. This friendly employee, who will always be there to show people around and answer their questions, means you will always be open for business – which is good for business.

4. The world is your client

For the average small to medium business, the Internet has a potential clientele so massive it can never be fully reached. Today, more that a one billion people are online, making it the largest single market in the world. Small businesses without any sort of web presence are most often restricted to a market within their region. By just dipping your finger into the proper stream, your business can reap the benefits to an infinitely wider base. The Internet is truly your client, pending you web presence.

5. Connect with your clients

One of the greatest evolutions of the Internet in recent years is the explosion of social media and networks. Utilizing social media and networks means that you have the potential to connect and communicate with clients and potential clients like never before. Having an online presence means that the incredible tools that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others have become, now can be available at your disposable for everything from brand awareness to marketing. The best part about a good social media strategy is that if done right, your customers will eventually help you spread your brand. It’s the whole “word of mouth” thing taken to a whole new level.

6. Don’t get left behind

There’s no denying that your customers looking for new products or businesses to service them are swayed by how they perceive that company to be and the services or products they offer. Today people are more web-savvy than ever, with search engines like Google making navigating the Net a breeze, not having a website suggests that you’re behind the times and irrelevant in today’s business sphere. Having a website will ensure that potential clients will have access to your products and/or services and that your current clients are not lured away by the competition.

7. Brand awareness

The world’s leading brands have all hailed the Internet the greatest ‘billboard’ in some way or another. Print media, outdoor media, radio and television are only static and non-interactive forms of branding; a well developed website gives the opportunity for you to give your visitors an informative and interactive experience of your brand, products and services. A website can keep your current clients well informed and interested in your business and build the much desired loyalty that every business seeks.

For potential clients, a website can be an incredible opportunity to introduce your brand, products and services as well as establish a connection with them that has the potential to yet another client that could stay loyal to your business in the future. This first, lasting impression has never been more critical in business than today and with the Internet, made easier than in years gone past.

8. Smoother sailing

Time is money! This simple fact means that whenever or wherever you can save time, it ultimately means adding to your profits. A website has the potential of not only saving you time but making time spent, more productive. From showcasing your products and services to online placing of orders, from invoicing and statements to financial transactions, the Internet and having your own website means you can streamline your business and set out for smoother sailing on the often turbulent waters of business.

9. Break your budget

The single most prevalent factor holding back businesses from acquiring and maintaining a website is the fear that it will break the budget and for smaller businesses owners, this is a risk not many are willing to take. But the reality is that a well developed and thought through website need not cost more than a simple monthly newspaper or radio marketing campaign.

Domain registration and hosting cots have dropped considerably over the last few years along with web development fees. With free ‘open source’ development tool kits and content management systems as well as large collections of templates and resources, developing a website need not be a noticeable chunk out of your budget, and when weighed with the benefits – may even seem minimal.

Obviously having more functionality, interactivity and content on your website will mean spending more but the nature of a website is such that it can be constantly upgraded and adapted and developed in such a way that more elements can be added as budget permits with time.

10. The missing link

Many businesses feel that they lack the edge or the ‘X’ factor to push to the next level of business in terms of growth and expansion. Businesses ranging from fashion and entertainment to legal and financial services have found that by introducing a website to their business, they have found the ‘missing link’ to business success. This ‘X’ factor could be reaching new, untapped markets, it could be establishing stronger brand loyalty with existing clients or even a simple way of having your contact details available for a previous client.

So, whether you have been reluctant to push your way into the online business world or if you’re new or have only made minimal efforts, the time is now to develop your online identity and make your presence felt. Developing your website, designing the perfect online store, creating customer friendly content, and developing a social media strategy can all help to ensure your business has a fighting chance to both succeed and soar in this new digital economy.

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