The Internet has revolutionized every single aspect of our life, turning the world into a huge online exchange zone. Nowadays, thanks to this online revolution, the existing physical borders do not pose a problem anymore, making the world more accessible and creating more opportunities for both individuals and businesses. The recent Covid-19 Pandemic came to crystalize this statement and underlined the importance of your online presence to secure your spot as a business in the market.
So, what is the best tool to ensure your online presence if not a website? According to a recent KPMG Global Online Consumer Report, more than 55% of consumers normally search for reviews and recommendations before buying the product, and 47% of them visit the company website for that purpose.
Still, not sure if you need one? Then how about this? About 81% of 16 to 64 years old internet users searched online for a product or service to buy, with 74% eventually ending up buying something. Wait! Too many numbers for an intro? Let’s go step by step to understand why having a professional website is a trump card for your business.
More Sales
Sales are essential for every business. The importance of ensuring sales cannot be understated, and it’s the only way to keep your business competitive. Thus, improving your sales statistics is equivalent to making your business more successful.
As discussed above, with the world becoming more and more online-centered, ensuring your online presence is vital. Having a website will enable you to reach out to more consumers and overcome the geographic limits our physical world entails. Having an online presence means having a global presence, which brings more opportunities, and of course, SALES!
Do we need numbers to prove this? Yes! Do we have them? YES!
According to Statista.com, the e-Commerce share of global retail sales in 5 years grew from 7.4% to 16.1% in 2020. To make it more precise, currently, this is a market of about 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars, and this share is estimated to grow up to 90% by 2040.
Therefore, if you are interested in keeping your business healthy and competitive, you should definitely rush to get a professional website to make sure that you don’t miss out on having a fluffy piece from this delicious cake.
*Factoring out the sale of items not normally purchased online, such as fuel, automobiles and sales in bars and restaurants. Source: Digital Commerce 360, U.S. Commerce Dept. 2020 data are early estimates from Digital Commerce 360. Updated Jan. 2020.
Around the Clock Accessibility
Imagine how much money you could make if you did not sleep and worked 24/7. Well, it’s a hypothetical question, and of course, no-sleep would mean no-productivity; however, your website solves this problem, too. Having a website allows you to make money 24/7 despite the time-zone difference or whether your consumer is a night owl or an early bird. Your website is your 24/7 retail assistant, which will not ask for more money to work night-shift and will allow you not to miss out on your potential consumers.
Thus, if you use your website to sell your products, consumers will be able to purchase them around the clock. The more comfortable you make your products to browse and buy online, the higher is the probability that they will boil down to buying it from you.
So get as much sleep as you need, and your website being your digital retail assistant, will make sure that you don’t lose any customers. Your potential customers will get all the required information about your company and the product on your website, allowing them to make smart buying decisions.
Would it be easier for you to visit every single shop after a long working day that offers the product you are looking for and compare the prices, or just spend some time web surfing from your sofa at 1 am and buy it without putting extra effort? I know the answer, and YOU know the answer, too.
This is one of the reasons why smart business owners should get a website for their company.
First Impression Matters
Your website is usually the first impression of your brand. Now when we know how significant your online presence as a business is, it is essential to understand that the mere presence can’t be enough to engage customers and gain credibility. Yes, in today’s digital world, having a website is essential. But the way you built it and the experience you provide can both push away your customers or engage many new ones. Studies have shown that about 75% of consumers judge the company’s credibility based on its website design and that about 94% of the negative website feedback is due to the design.
The content you create and the user experience you provide are decisive. This is why you should have a professional website for your brand, and the following elements are the must-haves for a professional website:
1. Attractive design
Your website should be eye-pleasing and correspond to the concept of your brand. It takes about 0.05 seconds for your website users to form an opinion about your website and decide whether they will stay or leave, and 88% of online consumers are unlikely to return to your website after a bad experience. Thus, if they stay, congrats, it’s a win for your business.
2. Gadget Friendliness
Your website should be gadget-friendly, meaning that despite the type of gadget your visitors use, be it a tablet, a computer, or a smartphone, your website should work smoothly. 57% of internet users would not recommend a website that isn’t mobile-friendly, and keep in mind that smartphones account for 63% of global retail website visits.
3. Useful Content
The content of your website should be informative and help your potential customers form an understanding of the products and services your brand is offering. Your visitors should have the required information at hand. This not only improves the user experience but also increases your brand’s credibility since it gives an impression of transparency and openness. Moreover, your credibility can be increased by providing your consumers with information about the brand and the company itself. This enables them to see your vision, mission, and roots, which obviously establishes a stronger connection with your customers, helping you gain loyal consumers.
P.S. Don’t forget to add relevant keywords to your content in order to appear among other brands that offer similar products or services.
4. Search Engine Optimization
Well, sure, your website becomes utterly useless if one can’t find it online. Therefore, it should be optimized for search engines like Yahoo and Google, which account for about 90% of all online searches. Therefore make sure to have SEO gurus that will make your website an easy-to-find one.
5. Fast Loading
If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, your visitors tend to leave it. 47% of consumers expect an average website to load in a maximum of 2 seconds, and every year, retailers lose about 2.6 billion in sales due to having a slow-loading website.
6. User Friendliness
Your website should be user-friendly for everyone, be it a tech giant or an adult who just discovered the perks of the Internet.
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Online Marketing
Your website is an irreplaceable tool for your marketing. This platform not only allows you to make your products more accessible but also plays an important role in your marketing. That’s why you should always make sure that your website provides the consumers with the information they might be interested in.
Not going too far, let’s consider one’s social media marketing. Although businesses usually use third party social networks to engage more consumers, you should always have a personal brand space to lead your potential consumers when they are curious about learning more about your business. Thus, your website becomes a home base for your consumers to learn more about your products and services and your company itself.
Furthermore, the role of having a website is vital for content marketing, as well. Your continent and information need an individual space. Whether it is a blog post or product information, or maybe both, you always need a space to display it. Thus, your website creates a big room for your content, where your visitors can find well-ordered information on the topics they are looking for in one place.
Improved Customer Experience and Data Collection
Having a website allows you to keep pace with your consumers’ opinions through their reviews and recommendations, which would not be fully possible to follow up in case of having a phone call or getting an in-person note. This is a great tool to fill in the cons of your customer service and identify what the drawbacks of your products are.
Moreover, websites also make the data collection and analysis more comfortable by showing you the numbers of visits, review analysis, and per product engagement, which is an irreplaceable tool for your business, allowing you to make smart business decisions, which would be pretty hard otherwise.
General FAQ
What is an eCommerce website?
An eCommerce website is simply a website where you can purchase products or services online.
How can I start an eCommerce website?
There are many tools which allow you to build an eCommerce site, like Shopify. For a more customised site with superior functionality, it may be worth reaching out to dedicated WordPress professionals.
How popular is online shopping?
According to Statista.com, the e-Commerce share of global retail sales in 5 years grew from 7.4% to 16.1% in 2020. To make it more precise, currently, this is a market of about 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars, and this share is estimated to grow up to 90% by 2040.
