Gone are the days when people used the yellow pages to find a business offering a product or service they need. With more and more people using the Internet to connect socially and conduct their daily important activities, small business owners simply cannot succeed without having an online presence. So, do you need a website? Absolutely, yes.

Of course, only you can decide whether or not you need a website for your business. However, described below are five compelling reasons why you should consider taking the plunge. If a tight budget is your reason for hesitating, you can stop worrying. Creating a unique and effective website is actually quite affordable.

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Keeping up with the Competition

Perhaps the best reason why you should consider creating a website for your business is to keep up with your competition. Chances are, your competitors already have an online presence. Businesses of all sizes use websites as an effective way to connect with existing and potential clients.

While there may be a few competitors that do not have an online presence yet, you do not want to lose potential clients to the ones that do. Stay in the competition by striving to go above and beyond what your competitors do. Having an online presence can help you accomplish this by allowing you to keep track of your competitor’s activities.

Creating a Good Impression

Another reason why you need a website in today’s competitive world is to put forth a good impression to your targeted consumer base. A professional-looking website will provide you with credibility and as such, make a good and lasting impression on anyone who visits your site.

Furthermore, when you have an online presence, it shows your customers that they are important to you and you are committed to satisfying them. Additionally, since a well-designed website will make your business look highly professional, more consumers will be likely to choose you over your competition.

Expanding Your Audience

Having a website opens your business up to a global audience, which means that you can expand your customer base more than you could have ever dreamed before. This is especially helpful if you have products you can sell online. By selling your products online, you can significantly supplement your offline income.

On the other hand, even if you are not selling a product, a professional website offers you exposure to the largest audience found anywhere. Having an online presence also allows your customers to gain access to your site and your business’s information around the clock.

In fact, even when your business is closed, consumers will have access to your site. Through the use of proper key words, encoding and search engine optimization, your website will be available to millions upon millions of consumers who may be using such things as computers, smartphones, iPads and GPS devices.

Best Advertising Ever

Having a website is much like having a digital business card. However, websites are able to offer much more valuable information than a simple little business card can. Furthermore, when customers lose your business card, they can simply go online to find you and get the information they need.

Websites are also an inexpensive way to advertise. With a website, you can provide your clients with a vast array of information pertaining to your products and/or services. To make your site more personal, you can also add photos, videos, customer reviews/testimonials and special online offers.

Build Lasting Relationships

Through an online presence, you can build lasting relationships with customers by sending them regular emails, newsletters and promotional notifications. Additionally, since customers are able to email you around the clock, you can maintain their relationship by communicating with them and gaining their trust.

The possibilities are endless when you have a professionally-designed website for your business. Updating websites and answering emails are highly effective ways to keep clients notified of such things as upcoming events, new products or services, or current sales or promotions.

As you can see, there are many reasons why you need a website in today’s highly competitive business world. If this sounds interesting to you, there is a free email series called “Everything You Need to Know About Getting Your Small Business Online” that can help you get started. Sign up today and enjoy all of the fantastic benefits of having an online presence.