In a previous article (Why You Need a Website in 2024), I went in-depth to explain why you need a website. As much as a personal website is important having a business website is more crucial. The world has changed and as such an online presence as well as a place where your clients, customers and prospects can find you.
Businesses stand to lose by much if they do not have a website. All businesses have a social media account, or at least most do. However, most of the local businesses do not entertain the idea of having a website. Most claiming that websites are too expensive which is far from the truth.
The world has moved to a digital arena, all things are done on the phone, laptop or on call. The entire business structure has shifted to the digital space. Since 2019, post-COVID, most people have appreciated the convenience of doing things online with minimal interaction. From office meetings on zoom, shopping on the local supermarket app, and ordering food on Glovo to mention but the very least.
Here are a few online shops to stir up the idea that you don’t need a website:
- Tesla.com
- Amazon.com
- Jumia.co.ke
- Apple.com
- Carrefour
Even your competitor business next door has a website and that is why you wonder how they make sales.
Why have an online presence?
To start with, while your shop can only be open for 8-12 hours a day, a website is online and active. Thus, creating an entirely new agent that markets you, makes sales and keeps your business running all day and night. With the right website, it is possible to have all your processes automated, from creating orders to customer support.
Most of the big companies have created a symbiotic relationship with websites. Take an example of Amazon.com, from when you go to the website to when your order is completed; including online customer support are all served by automated processes.
1. Marketing
Marketing is the entire business as it facilitates sales and proper growth of the company or business. A website is the perfect marketing too, even better than social media.
- You are in control
- You can post the entire story how you want
- Your clients can have a direct interaction with your products/services
- No distractions
- You can create sales funnels.
2. Credibility
Most new clients after hearing about a product, service or business will always search for the business website to learn more.
Without the presence of a website, the clients can neither engage with your business nor verify the credibility of the information. It is at this point that most will walk away and look for an alternative. A business with reviews, an online social media account and a website speaks more to credibility than one lacking in any of those.
3. Controlling the story
Having an online presence allow engaging with clients, customers and even future prospects. By controlling the perspective of those who engage with your website, you gain the upper hand in controlling the image of the business.
A lot can be said on a website.
4. Source of Analytics
Google offers one of the best sources for analytics with its tools. Google has bots called crawlers moving through the internet gathering information. These results are offered to websites through google analytics to provide information about how people engage with your website. With such information it is easy to know your audience, what people like and what changes to make.
How to create a business website
In 2024, creating a business website is easy and very cheap. With hundreds of website builders, hosting companies and cheap domains that can give the best deals.
There is free online software that can generate entire websites in less than 5 minutes. That is how simple making websites has become. So you have no excuse, make your website today.
Here is a simple guide on the steps to get started: Why you need a website in 2024
WordPress is one the easiest ways to get started with your website, offering a vast array of tools to scale your business. With WordPress, you can create online stores, product showcases, sales funnels and so much more.
As an alternative depending on how custom you need your website to be you can opt to improve by making a custom website.
Types of business websites
All businesses are not the same, with each offering its own twists and uniqueness. As such, all businesses cannot have the same design of websites or even have websites offering similar services.
Depending on the functions required from a website, business websites can be categorized into the following categories.
1. E-commerce Website
An e-commerce website is basically an online store. It offers products, services or both to customers for sale. These websites enable customers to buy from businesses, complete their purchases online and importantly they can leave reviews and feedback.
Businesses can also manage inventory and sales from the website.
Feature include:
- Product listings
- Ability to process orders
- Inventory manager
- Product reviews and feedback
- Shipping and Accounting features
2. Business Portfolio
Just like personal portfolio websites, some businesses deal in products and services that need to be showcased. Businesses such as real-estate, art and cars need to showcase their products. These websites are designed to capture the attention of clients and prospects.
They will include large collections of images, and galleries and portfolios to show previous works.
Feature include:
- Large galleries
- Portfolio
- Past works and testimonials
- Highly visual
3. Product Website
A product website is focused towards a certain product. All the content on that website speaks to the features, functionalities and use of the product. Some product websites include the functionalities to make purchases or place orders.
Websites such as tesla.com and apple.com fall into this category. Most SaaS websites also have the same features.
Features:
- Largely features the product
- Highly visual.
- Call to action buttons
4. Classic Business Website
A business can decide to have a basic website to show information. These websites are plain and only provide information about the business with any special designs or functionalities. It is important to have an online presence and this kind of website is very common.
Features:
- A clear statement of the business
- Consistent with the company brand
- Includes contact forms
- Must have a location and contact information
FAQs
What are the best web hosting solutions?
There are hundreds if not thousands of web hosting companies that will give you very great rates as well as customer support.
Personally, I recommend hostinger.com
Where Can I Get a Website Designed?
You can go freelance websites such as Fiverr.com and Upwork.com and get a professional wed designer and developer to get you up and running. Other platforms exist and you can also find one locally.
