Do Businesses Still Need a Website?
Published September 15, 2017 by Rush Hour
Some business owners may ask, is it still worth having a website? Nowadays, there are alternatives to having a website or online store. Alternatives may include pages on Facebook, Instagram, and the other social networks. Some businesses wanting to sell online use item listings on Shopee, OLX, and other online marketplaces. Yet despite these options, most big brands still have their own websites or online stores.
One major problem with opting to use a third party exclusively is that if their business goes down, yours is likely to follow. Take the case of Multiply, which for many years, was one of the top social networking sites before Facebook arrived. Multiply had grown very fast, and eventually businesses found success in the platform. That is, until Facebook arrived. Use of the platform declined, and Multiply was shut down. And as we are seeing now with Yahoo!, Twitter and Snapchat, platforms can die down as quickly as they shot up.
Simply using a page from these platforms also limits your business’ ability to express its branding. Having a store on Facebook will appear just like any other Facebook page. Your desired look and feel, in line with your branding, may not be conveyed to your audience.
People may not understand exactly what you are offering, or your target audience may not find your offer compelling. Nowadays, people can easily obtain information about products. The experience is what makes the difference.
Another thing to consider is that most people still use search engines, primarily Google. While your Facebook page may appear when someone Googles your brand name, you will have a very difficult time optimizing for search engines without a website. Search Engine
Optimization is one of the best ways to get good leads for your business, because by targeting the correct keywords, you are getting people with the correct intent. For example, if you sell diamonds in Manila, optimizing for the query “Where to buy diamonds in Manila” will likely be shown to someone who’s intent is to buy diamonds in Manila, exactly who you are looking for!
When you buy something, there is a certain flow to the process of purchase. You pick and item and then you pay for it, this is the flow put simply. But whether it is fast food, or your groceries, or clothes, the businesses do not stop selling until a sale is done. A recommendation to make it a value meal or upsize, or items at the cashier, these businesses have customized the purchase flow to maximize earnings. Having your own ecommerce website also allows you to have full control over the purchase flow, you can opt to provide more information to your buyers, or to show them offers they may be interested in, or to make it as quick and simple as possible, whichever you think works best.
You can even test out different approaches. Having your own website allows you to see how people behave. Tools like Google Analytics give you an inside look into the how, why, and who of your website visitors. These tools also allow you see how your sales funnel is working, and the bottlenecks that you may have.
Brands/businesses with well-made, well-functioning websites also exude a sense of confidence. It shows authority, as anyone can create a social network page. These are some of the benefits a business could get by creating a website.
Looking to create a website for your business? With over 10 years’ experience, Rush Hour is your trusted partner. See some of our past work here.