While there aren’t many brick-and-mortar businesses that ask the question these days, a few holdouts do still wonder why they should develop an online presence for their business. The idea may seem too complicated or too risky. However, the truth is, there are many good reasons why you should take your business online.
Here are nine ways in which your business can benefit by getting your business on the Internet:
Improve Your Company’s Image
Business websites and social media accounts are very common these days. When a business doesn’t have an online presence, it causes customers to wonder if its owners are even serious about their trade. When you take the time to set up a website and social media account(s) for your business, you show your customer base that you are a committed business owner. If for no other reason, you should develop a website and social media presence for your business just because your customers expect you to have one.
An Online Presence Helps Make Sure That You Are Available All The Time
There are some gas stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, and fast food outlets that stay open 24 hours a day, and every day of the week. For most other businesses, however, being always open is impossible. When you take your business online, you can, at the very least, offer detailed information about your products and services to your customer base, every hour of the day. Many people like researching the products that they will buy from the comfort of their homes. If you have no website, you lose out on these customers. A website would help you generate more leads. If you have e-commerce capability on your website, you can help your leads buy from you anytime, as well.
You Can Offer Your Customers Better Support
When you have no online presence, your customers are less able you contact you with presales questions. You can’t sit by the phones at your company all day, and all night. What you can do is to set up an online presence for your business, and direct users to an informative page, an email form, or a social media account. Often, visitors to your website won’t even need to make contact with you. If you have a FAQs section, product manuals, usage videos, and other information on your website, you will be able to answer your visitors’ questions even before they ask them.
Getting Started Is Easy
While it’s possible to spend tens of thousands of dollars on building a top-notch commercial website, there are options out there for less. LaunchNeo offers a simple monthly package called a LaunchPlan that provides everything that you need for a custom WordPress website.
The Internet Is Business-Friendly
When you get on the Internet, every potential customer out there is just a click away. You can use your website and social media presence to educate visitors on your products or services, convert them into customers, and help them use their purchases. Getting on the Internet makes your business more customer-friendly.
The Internet Allows You To Do Business From Anywhere
In many cases, if you have an online presence, you can run your business remotely. You don’t need to be in a specific town to run it. You can move to any city that you like, and continue running your business online.
Cut Costs
Moving even parts of your daily operations online can help you lower costs. A single online video that explains your product’s features may be able to allow you to cut down on customer support staff. Once you begin making much of your sales online, you will be able to cut down on sales staff, as well.
Target New Geographical Areas
When you restrict yourself to your brick-and-mortar location, your business is limited by the number of individuals who live close by. Getting your business online, however, opens you to a much wider geographical area. You may be able to use delivery services to deliver your product to a larger customer base.
The Internet Allows You To Be More Responsive
When your business goes online, you get to respond to your clients and potential customers far more readily than you would if you weren’t online. You can respond to questions through email and offer basic information to customers through articles and videos on your website.
Whether you physically provide a service to a certain geographical location, or sell products that can be shipped, taking your brick-and-mortar business online can be a powerful way to increase your revenue and find more customers.