A website is a crucial part of going online for businesses. In fact, for some businesses having a website is what it means to be online. A website allows a business to promote its products and services to the increasing number of consumers online.
A website is a good way to grow your business beyond its brick and mortar location. So, if you do not have a business website already, you should seriously be considering building one.
Your Customers are already Online
History has shown several times that businesses that succeed and survive in the long run are those that follow consumer trends and respond to them promptly.
Internet accessibility is increasing by the day with the proliferation of internet capable devices like feature phones, smartphones, especially Cheap Android Phones, modems and tablets.
The cost of accessing internet has also been reducing in Nigeria. For example, in 2009 when I bought my first modem, the cost of 24/7 internet for 30 days in Nigeria was 5,000 Naira for just 500MB data limit.
Today, you can get more than twice that for as low 1,000 Naira. This means that more and more consumers are now online. Some of these online consumers are your potential customers and your website will drive them to your business.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC there are 98.3 million internet users in Nigeria as at February this year (2018). Building a website for your business will put you in a position to target this growing number of online consumers. And with more devices and cheaper internet this number will only increase.
The increase in internet accessibility has also changed consumer behaviour. Some consumers now do their research online while looking for products and services so a lack of a website or some other form of online presence will make your business invisible to modern day consumers.
So ignoring the internet by avoiding a business website means you are already sowing the seeds of failure. Remember the good book says that whatever a business sows that it shall reap.
A website with proper SEO and social media strategy will make it easier for consumers to discover your business and products and services online. A website will also give some form of consumer friendliness to your business as users can easily get information about your business and the products and services you sell.
Your customers are already online, it is time you join them. Build a business website.
Your Website is the HQ of your Online Presence
Your website should be the headquarters of your online presence. All your engagements and promotions online should end in one thing: driving traffic to your website.
Your blog engagements, social media engagements, online advertising, email marketing, directory listings, etc should all be for the benefit of your website, which should be designed to convert visitors into customers.
So, your business website should be the beginning of all your online campaigns. For example, before running online ads or even offline ads, you should prepare good landing pages on your website with relevant information about the product or service being advertised, so that interested visitors will be satisfied and converted into customers or at least fans.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are great, but you do not own them, which means you do not have full control of your online presence if you depend solely on these platform.
An algorithm change or even a ban by any of these platforms can completely kill your business if you do not have a website.
So, in order words your website should be the coordinating point for your online presence.
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