If your business is to adapt to the changes in consumer behavior, then a functional and engaging website is paramount. 

From a basic branding point of view to providing services that make the lives of your customers easier, there are a large number of reasons why your small business needs a strong online presence.

Consumer Behavior and Internet Usage – The Stats

Over the years consumers have become more and more reliant on the internet to cater to numerous aspects of their life, from how they watch television, listen to music, and purchase products and services.

Below are a few stats about how consumer behavior has evolved over the last decade.

• According to the Digital 2022 July Global Statshot Report, about 57% of people in the world purchase a product or service online each week.
• More than 45% of people will not make a purchase if an eCommerce site loads slowly.
  
• It is estimated that by the year 2025, worldwide e-commerce sales will exceed $7 trillion, compared to $4.2 trillion in 2020.

Even from the small sample size of statistics above, it is plain to see that a website is a must if your business is to tap into the huge online market which is set to grow even further.

Even customers who are not particularly adept with a computer or smartphone now expect to be able to find whatever they need online. Therefore, if there is no information about your business via the internet, you could miss out on potential customers. 

This is the most basic benefit of having your own website, helping to raise awareness about your brand and reach out to new and existing customers 24/7.

For example, a lot of florists think that they don’t need a website and rely only on in-person sales. Well, lately commerce has shifted more and more online. And even a florist website is necessary to drive additional sales or credibility for the business.

Word of mouth and organic recommendations are great, but they don’t tell the whole story. With your own website, you can provide people with a background of your business, what makes you great, and why you differ from your competitors.

Content that is more personal and provides a deeper insight into a company is proven to increase customer engagement and build trust. If copywriting isn’t really your specialty, then there are several online tools that you can use to add more informative content to your website.

Building a small business website allows you to truly communicate everything about your brand in a cohesive manner. It’s also quite easy to build, manage, and update on a regular basis.

A business that has little to no online presence is a big red flag for many consumers, suggesting that the business in question is less than credible or potentially has something to hide from the public. 

Follow web design trends to increase your awareness of how you want your brand to look, and how to represent it better than your competitors!

Not only this, but your online content can help to build trust among your target audience, showing that not only is your business credible, but that it is one that offers a great service.

Creating a stylish and functional website can be done very cheaply, making it one of the best marketing resources in terms of return on investment. 

Furthermore, with professional search engine optimization, the reach of your website can grow exponentially, drastically increasing the number of people who can potentially find your business online.

WordPress is one of the easiest and most affordable ways of building an attractive website, made even simpler with the many page-building tools on the market. 

The majority of online consumers are heavily influenced by what other people have to say about a business, service, or product. A positive Google review or good feedback can help them finalize their decision on whether or not to make a purchase. 

Including customer testimonials and product feedback on your website is an effective way to increase sales. Not only that, Google, search engines, and social media will all be improved with positive reviews. 

As a small business, having a website not only helps you stand out against similar-sized competitors, but also helps you compete with bigger companies, and even household names. 

With strong SEO and utilizing website engagement metrics, you can adapt to consumer trends and optimize your website for niche keywords, meaning you can stay one step ahead of the rest. 

Regular keyword research and leveraging analytical data can help to take your business to the next level, even if you are only working with a modest marketing budget.

It is obviously not viable for your business to remain open 24 hours a day in most cases, however, with a website, your customers can still find out the information they are looking for or make purchases at any hour of the day. 

Even if they cannot find the information they need right away, they can still use your online contact form so their query can be answered first thing in the morning, providing a constant method of communication.

Every small business needs a website so all your potential customers can call or contact you if they want to buy your products and services. Make this as easy as possible with online checkouts (ecommerce), call buttons, forms, and chat pop ups.

Social Media platforms such as Facebook Marketing and Twitter no longer have the power they once had from a marketing perspective. 

Back in 2018, Mark Zuckerberg claimed that changes to the network resulted in its user base spending 50 million fewer hours on Facebook that year, and this has decreased further over the last four years.

Although social media still has a big part to play in an overall marketing plan, with the emergence of TikTok and the popularity of Instagram, it cannot be fully relied on to serve your online audience.

Personally, I’m not huge into social media, or at least as not as much as I used to be. However, it’s still extremely important for growing a brand, providing information, leverage digital marketing channels, and increasing revenue.

Current and prospective customers can communicate with you and your staff directly using your website. This can be via a monitored email system, or by using live chat functionality, you could even implement a chatbot to help answer any simple queries instantly. Facebook Messenger and ManyChat are two common platforms we use with clients.

Having an outlet to provide quick or instantaneous information to your customers can help build relationships, ensuring your clients remain clients for years to come. 

With a website, you have a versatile channel to showcase your business and expertise. Whether it is displaying customer testimonials and positive feedback, or providing useful information to establish yourself as a thought leader, your website can be the most powerful weapon in your arsenal in terms of boosting awareness.

A fantastic way to showcase your knowledge is by providing educational content, such as tutorials and webinars.

I’m always promoting myself and Momentum Digital with various blog updates, social media posts, email messages, and podcasts or videos. Check out some of my social channels to stay up to date with Momentum and some big moves we’re making in the industry.

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