By Erum Zehra

To have or not to have a website, is that really a question?

As a web designer, I may be a bit biased about this, but I think everyone should have a website. In times of the pandemic, your virtual presence can make or break your business and a website is an essential part of doing business online.

Let us look at some of the main reasons on why you should have a business website.

Essential Business Investment

If you are open to investing in your business, a well designed business website pretty much tops the list. It is essential to have a website to help you run your business online. Below is a screenshot of a website designed by us for an immigration consultant. We will use different sections of this website to highlight some benefits of having a website:

Availability of Options

There are various website building options available. You can try to build it yourself or you can hire a web designer to do it for you. If you have a low budget you can hire an expert on an hourly basis to partially help you with your web project. This way you can get a website solution that suits your budget.

All Your Information is Easily Accessible

Without a website you have to rely on social media to give your business online exposure. The problem with social media content is that it moves too fast. Most people are not able to see your content or unable to find it if they want to see it again. A website presents all your business information in an organized, consolidated way and it is always available at the same address ie your URL.

For example, in the screenshot below you can see the extensive list of services offered by this business and how they have been grouped in an easy to navigate format. The main service menu lists all the services. Then the sub menu for the service labelled “immigration” shows all the services related to immigration. Presenting and organizing information in this way is only possible through a website:

People Can Easily Find You

If your website is optimized for the search engines, people can easily find you by doing a search. This will result in more exposure for your business and also more clients. Most potential customers do a web search when they are considering working with you. A well designed business website is likely to impress them and they may be convinced to hire you.

Selling Products

If you are selling products, a website can show case them in a much better way than your Facebook or Instagram page. People like to scroll, search and compare products while shopping.  Websites can provide a user-friendly interface which is perfect for helping them do all this. This will encourage people to order your products and will result in more sales for you.

Highlight Your Achievements

You can use your website to highlight your achievements, awards or rave reviews from your clients. In fact, you can have a page or section solely dedicated to sharing all the great things you are doing in your business.

Automation

A lot of business tasks can be automated or simplified through a website. Some examples are:

• Collecting customer data
• Taking orders
• Accepting payments
• Booking appointments
• Offering downloads
• Easy to use contact form
• Get newsletter subscriptions

In this screenshot you can see the contact form and the newsletter subscription form as it has been placed in the website.

Builds Credibility

A well designed website gives a good impression of your business. It makes you look authentic and trustworthy. It shows that you take your business seriously enough to invest money, time and effort into creating an amazing website for it.

Remember, a little investment in your web site goes a long way in building the right image. Your web site should attract visitors and keep them there to ensure your online success. Make as much effort as you can to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

About The Author

Erum Zehra is a digital entrepreneur and the founder of Prestige Interactive. Prestige Interactive specializes in creating stunning business websites for female entrepreneurs to propel their business in the limelight. Download her FREE Website Planning Template today to design your website layout for success!