The COVID-19 breakout in mid-January changed a regular human’s behavior and how businesses carry out their operations. Be it a large-scale business or a new startup, all companies suffered losses and decided to change their strategy and started shifting online. 

People are stuck in their homes and do not wish to visit stores how they used to do pre-pandemic because of the fear of catching the deadly virus. 

The way consumers behave and their buying habits have significantly changed; thus, companies adapted to these changes by increasing their digital visibility and generating revenue. A new trend started with almost every business now having a website or a digital presence. Previously 44% to 51% of companies did not have any online presence and operated locally with a brick and mortar setup. Currently, 76% of small-scale and large-scale corporations offer their services online. It is safe to say that this trend will carry out in the future, and a robust website will become the #1 salesman for all types of businesses in 2021. 

Why Does Any Business Need a Website?

Jiten Thakkar, the Founder of Local Forever, in his Digital Marketing eBook: ‘Secrets of Successful Digital Marketers,’ says, “The new trend for established brands as well as startups that want to make a mark on social media is to have a website. Especially in & after this pandemic, people would easily have an instant connection with the brand that creates content to serve their audience in these times. Time spent on social media sites has drastically increased recently, and a business must be available and active on platforms where their customers are spending the most time. For any business, brand recognition is a great achievement. It shows that the company offers products and services that clients need and trust.”

With Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms, why does a business require a website? Why can’t we rely only on social media? How does having a digital presence through a website impact the sales and revenue of a business? Does a company have to shut down locally and shift online permanently to thrive in these unprecedented times? Following are some of the questions company owners ask regarding websites. Here are why any business needs to have a website for better sales.

Companies Can Control the Content They Want to Have On Their Website:

Instagram, Facebook, and other Social Media are excellent tools that help you promote your company. Using these tools comes with a downside as you do not own the content you post. Instead, you are using these platforms to drive traffic to your website. Having a website gives you control of what content you want the world to see. And how you want your brand to get represented.

Social Media platforms often update their algorithms, thus changing the way they used to work previously. These changes may cost you more money. An example of this would be how, five years back, Digital Marketers used to promote Facebook events to attract clients. The latest way to get the same result is by creating an advertisement on Facebook, which costs money. 

Furthermore, these platforms also lose their popularity over the years. MySpace was the most famous Social Media Platform between 2005 and 2008, with almost every celebrity on the forum. Currently, virtually no one uses Myspace, and its hype is gone. The platform got replaced by Facebook, Instagram, and other Social Media. The downfall of Myspace proves that any social media network might become obsolete after some time. 

You Can Increase Your Business’s Credibility:

When you learn about a company, do you trust them blindly? Or you do some research on whether they have some social media presence? Every client needs some form of proof that an XYZ company is legitimate. A website provides one of the best guarantees for this. The reason behind it is that when a potential client looks at the company’s website, they are not only looking at it but looking at the company as a whole. Some key points to make sure that your website gives a positive impact are below:

• Make sure that your website is professional and robust.
• Your content should be up-to-date. 
• Your company’s website must be available on mobile devices.

  Having A Website for Your Company Makes It Easier for You to Build Your Business:

Not only clients but also employees search for any business’s website. If you wish to generate revenue and find quality team members, make sure to have a social media presence. 

Most clients feel safe dealing with businesses that have websites or any other form of Digital Presence. Without a website, a company misses out on clients and a better team. To attract more employees, one can add a Job Opportunities section to their website. Furthermore, clients can easily send referrals to you.

You Can Easily Promote Your Business by Having a Robust Website:

Digital Marketing is cheaper and trouble-free than the standard form of advertising. It reaches a broader audience because people from all over the world can easily access your company’s website. 

The most significant advantage of having a Social Media presence and a website is that the business can track its progress. Traditional marketing methods make it difficult for us to calculate how successful an XYZ campaign was. Digital Marketing methods help companies get leads, increase sales and revenue, and bring traffic to the website. 

Websites Help Companies Reach a Wider Audience:

The most common misconception of small-scale businesses about having a website is that they will have to shut down their local operations. However, this claim is entirely bogus. 

With your website, you gain access to sales and leads from clients and employees worldwide. Businesses with only brick and mortar offices gain local clients and employees, thus having less audience and revenue. An increase in sales and revenue is observed because websites bring deals around the clock and seven days a week.

Written by Marium Irfan, the Tech Savvy Content Manager at GM Brand Builders. Contact me at mariumirfan20@gmail.com