The Short Answer Is Yes!  But Keep Reading.

It’s that time of the evening when you, small business owner, have put all the important things down for the day & find yourself mindlessly roaming the internet, you know, to stay up on all the current happenings. You come across that rabbit hole of a post where half of the commenters proclaim that every business needs a website and the other half swear your business can make it just fine without one.

Well, quite honestly, I’m sure the latter half are doing just fine, surviving each day as a business owner. But, what they don’t know, is what they don’t know. And that, my fellow business owners, is a major blunder when it comes to running a business. 

Best selling author, Jim Collins, describes in his enlightening book How The Mighty Fall, one of the markers, for what he calls Stage 1 of company decline. “Decline in Learning Orientation: Leaders lose the inquisitiveness and learning orientation that mark those truly great individuals who, no matter how successful they become, maintain a learning curve as steep as when they first began their careers.”

Get Out Ahead

So, what does this have to do with whether or not your business needs a website? Well, let’s start with the #1 obvious answer to that quandary- Because your customers expect it and they are looking for it. Let’s face it, we live in a digital world, one where we, as consumers, have become accustomed to immediate gratification. “I have a water leak, I need a plumber right now,” or “I want chinese food tonight, let’s order it right now.” 

According to Fundera, 81% of shoppers research online before purchasing. As consumers, we expect to be able to easily access and view our options to make a quick, educated decision. Guess which sector of businesses is completely missing the boat when these potential customers jump online? You guessed it- the half that doesn’t have a website; and the worst, most detrimental, fact is that they probably don’t realize it.

The old basketball reference comes to mind. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Those businesses that don’t have a website aren’t even playing the game. They are spectators. Or even worse, they didn’t even buy a ticket. 

Run With The Big Dogs

In actuality, when we look at the numbers, as of January 2021, Fundera also found that 64% of small businesses do have a website. Compare those findings to a study published by entrepreneur.com in 2016, that revealed 54% of small businesses had a website.

Business owners are realizing the value of a good website as an integral part of their marketing plan and they are jumping on board. According to these two studies, at a rate of 10% over a 5 year period. Granted there are a lot of factors at play here, but the bottom line is- You are not playing on a level playing field if you don’t have a slice of the world wide web that your business can call home.

According to business2community.com, monitoring your competition is vital to the success of any business. I’m sure this comes as no surprise. 

So, in conclusion, reason #2 why your business needs a website:

Because your competitors, the good ones, are doing it and the ones who aren’t will be left in the dust. 

It’s Ok To Show Off 

You work tirelessly day in and day out to ensure your business is successful, to make sure all the working parts are in order, to make sure your employees are productive, and to deliver quality results. The list goes on and on as a business owner, right?

Why would you expend all that energy and time, then skip the part where you tell everyone what you are doing. It seems like a silly question, but how does a customer know what services you offer, unless you tell them. A visually appealing and informative website will immediately exclaim to your customers exactly what your business can do for them.

Take a look at this website we built for Quicken Trailers. Upon landing on their homepage, it is 100% clear that Quicken Trailers are “experts in truck and trailer repair and maintenance.” As a hard working business owner, you should be proud to proclaim- “This Is What We Can Do For You!” SiteFire’s reason #4 why your business needs a website: A beautiful website that converts visitors into customers is what your hard work deserves. 

A website is a key piece of the overall marketing puzzle

We share these insights because at SiteFire, we consider our relationships with our customers to be more than a transaction. We are fully invested in the success of your company and our ultimate goal is to create a lasting partnership that continues to grow alongside your business. (insert digital handshake here ;)