9 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs Professional Web Design
So, you’re a small business. Competing with other enterprises and bigger companies can be tough. Therefore, you need to jump at anything that’ll give you a tactical edge - like professional web design. Hiring a pro to design a website for you has lots of benefits. We’re going to cover nine of them for you.
A Constant Online Presence
If you have a website, normal business hours are a thing of the past. You have a platform for your business which is active 24/7. Customers can look at the site and get information or make a purchase even if you’ve gone home for the night. We live in the convenience age - customers demand instant access.
24/7 Customer Support
Following on from the idea of instant access, customers also want 24/7 customer support, even from a small business. If they have a problem, they want to know how to fix it, and they want to know now.
There’s two main ways that a small business can accomplish this with good web design. First of all, they can have a dedicated FAQ section, answering common questions about services and products. It helps to give information without you needing to be involved. Your other option is a chatbot, which will use pre-written responses and AI to help customers who have a problem.
Building Trust
People who use the internet regularly are pretty cautious about online businesses. Anybody can set up a full set of social media platforms - they are no longer a seal or indicator of authenticity.
In contrast, professional web design is an investment that your business has made, and it shows that you’re serious about the services you provide. Its very existence is proof you’re a reputable business, and it’ll help to enhance both your credibility and professionalism.
Enhances Your Online Visibility
More than 63% of the world was using the internet as early as 2022. That number has undoubtedly risen since then. Furthermore, different countries have different numbers of people using the web - roughly 90% of the US has access to the internet, for example.
If you don’t have a website, then it is much less likely that you will be able to attract clients and move forward. You’ll stay invisible to most people without a site, so it is important to have a presence.
The Power of Social Proof
Do you know about social proof? Basically, when people are deciding whether or not they’re going to buy something from you, one thing they use to make a choice is the opinions and views of your competitors. Your website can be one of the best places for social proof out there, so it is well worth taking the time to get a site built. It can be a wealth of reviews and positive feedback, which can help you to secure more sales.
Generating Long-Term Value
Your business website is an investment because it will continue to generate long-term value for your company even when it’s been built. Unlike something like an advertising campaign, which only generates value as long as you continue to pay for it, a business website can yield substantial return on investment over time. Plus, even if it is not immediately working in the right way, you can make adjustments to it until it does work for you.
The Power of Online Sales
It is expected that there will be roughly $6.3 trillion ecommerce sales to come out of 2023 - that is a massive industry which shows no signs of slowing down. All of these businesses that get a chunk of the pie will all have one thing in common - they have a website to work with.
Even if you’re not a typical e-commerce business, you can still improve your sales if you have a virtual presence. It also means that even if you have to close your doors on the business for a little while, you can still continue to trade online.
Help Customers Find You
One thing a website can do that you might not appreciate at first is that it can help your customers to find your physical store and visit you directly. This is also the same for the online world - it’s easier to find your business with a website.
Thanks to some sophisticated web design, you can get a map built into your website, and this can help people to find your location. Furthermore, if you’ve got a website, your business can be more easily embedded in search engines like Google. SEO can be tough for smaller businesses, so taking the time to get your website listed can be a big help.
New Ways to Showcase Services and Products
If you want to ensure that people buy your products, you need to ensure that you make a proper display for all of the services and items you offer. Presentation is everything, and good web design can help a lot with that.
By having a good website, you can make photo collages, PDF guides, brochures and a site which takes customers on a tour of what you can offer. It is your best friend for advertising your site and developing the customer base you need and deserve.
DIY Web Design Not Recommended
Ultimately, there’s a lot of options when it comes to web design. However, the one thing we don’t recommend is trying to do it yourself. The DIY spirit that is so common in small businesses does have a use, and it can help with a lot of everyday stuff, but when it comes to web design, hiring a professional is, without a doubt, your best option. It makes your life a thousand times easier, which is exactly what you want to happen. You would ultimately just be wasting your time and energy when a good company can do it for you. We’re here to help, because we do recognise how important it can be to get good web design, so please give us a shout and find out how we can support your small business.
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This article is written by Jack Millard founder of Zixel. I am actually a real person and this was not written by AI or a robot. When I’m not writing blogs, I love great food, the occasional beer and motorbikes.
