As a small business owner, you might think that healthy business growth depends mainly on word-of-mouth and your personal network. However, customers nowadays search online before they do anything else. They look for places to eat, where to buy clothes, go on vacation and so on. If you don’t show up in those search results, all of these customers will pass you by. That’s where having a website really makes a difference.

The internet is an ocean

To support our argument that having a website is the best tool to reach more customers, we’ve found some mind-blowing facts about online shopping and the internet in general. Because the internet is an ocean - it’s full of customers to fish for! 

In fact, over 41% of the world population is connected to the internet with 312 million internet users in the US alone, according to Statista (as of December 2019). Just imagine the potential of communicating your products and services to such a wide range of people! But how? You guessed it - through your website.

Online shopping also increased drastically in 2020 and ended up with a turnover of more than 690 billion dollars. 83% of shoppers go online to browse the website of a store before visiting the physical version. That means if customers can’t find you online, you will miss out on them buying from you.

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of small businesses that overlook this opportunity for growth. Recent statistics tell us that three out of ten small businesses still didn’t have a website in 2020. If you find yourself in the same spot, keep reading to find out why having a website could lead to astonishing business development.

Top benefits of having a website

1. Increase your visibility and reach: The internet is a great place to reach new audiences and turn them into paying customers. With a website, literally anyone in the world will be able to reach your online presence and get to know your business at a glance. Make sure to also register your business with Google My Business so that potential customers can find you easily when they search for your business on Google.
2. Create trust and value: By having a website, your business appears more trustworthy. How so? Well, when you turn your website into a place where customers can turn for information, they will in all likelihood look at you in a more professional light. Make sure your website has all the necessary information about your business available,  such as phone number, address, and perhaps your product catalog. You can also display trust seals and testimonials to build credibility along with security certifications. This will make your customers feel safe.
3. 24/7 availability: One of the greatest things about a website is that it’s available to potential customers at all times. People from different parts of the world can visit your website despite being located in a different time zone. A website means you have a place that’s open 24/7 and always ready to receive new customers.
4. Boost your sales: Having a website will open up your business to the most powerful sales channel: the internet. E-commerce is expected to keep growing each year, as consumers spend more and more time online. With a website, you’ll not only be able to sell your products in a physical store, you’ll also have an opportunity to sell your products or services to a whole sea of online customers. 

Having a website can save you time and money

To sum up, having a website can help you reach a wider audience and stay in control of your brand messaging. You decide what to put online and what people can find out about you, which makes for the best kind of advertising. 

Moreover, a website can save you a lot of time and consequently money because it provides a platform with answers to common customer questions. The time you save can be spent focusing on what you do best; your business. 

You need a website - here’s how to get one

The idea of creating a website may seem difficult. Fortunately, we’ve made it easy for you to develop a full online presence - no coding required. Better yet, it’s free too!

We previously mentioned that having a website will enhance all aspects of your business, and help take it to the next level. That’s why we made Cobiro’s website builder super easy to use for anyone who’s in need of a professional-looking website. Even if you have no coding or design skills, you can use the intuitive drag-and-drop creator that makes the whole process smooth. 

If you wish to go one step further and leave the competition behind, you can also implement other features from our app selection, like the free SEO scan, which enables you to perform better in the organic search results, and Google Search Ads to help your business get shown to the right people through ads on Google. 

A website is a must for any serious business. It creates trust, makes you look professional, and connects you to a wider audience. There’s only one thing left to say: What are you waiting for?