Picture this: You’ve finally achieved your goal of opening a location for your small business. Your product is in stock, the building is constructed, and everything is ready for the grand opening. You show up at work, proudly stand behind the counter…

…and never unlock the door.

Sound crazy to you? It should. Why go to all that effort to build a business only to not let people inside?

But before you judge the person in this scenario, think about this…

If your business doesn’t have a good website, this is exactly what you’re doing.

Not having a good website for your business is like owning a store with 100s of people walking by every day and never actually opening up.

If your business doesn’t have a website, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Maybe that comes across as really obvious…but believe it or not, many businesses don’t see the value of investing in a good website. And if you’re one of them, you might be saying things like…

• “My business is really small and we don’t have the money for someone to build us one.”
• “I’ve got plenty of loyal customers who show up in person—why do I need to be online?”
• “We don’t sell stuff online, so why do we need a website?”

And of course…

• “I know this guy who says he can make me a great website for free!”

Here’s the deal. No matter what industry you are in, no matter how big or small your business is, no matter how many customers you already have, no matter what you sell…

…you need a website. And not just any website—a good website.

And by the way—unless that guy who claims he can make you a great website for free is an expert, don’t take him up on that offer. More than likely, he won’t be able to deliver.

The biggest reason why you need a good website

The Internet has changed all aspects of how consumers interact with businesses. The days of window shopping have largely been replaced by Google searches for whatever it is that shoppers are looking for, and without a website, these people won’t be able to find you.

It’s probably the most crucial reason why you need a good website for your business.

So if you think you don’t need a website because you don’t sell things online, think again. When people search Google for businesses, they are searching for proximity—places within their area that can meet a particular need or solve a problem.

4 out of 5 people searching for businesses on Google are looking for something nearby, and 88% of them visit within 24 hours of running their search.

Looking up a business in the phone book? Forget it. That’s what Google searches are for now. Plus, 30% of consumers won’t even consider a business that doesn’t have a website.

That said, once you have a website, there are tons of opportunities to use your website to speak to these people’s needs.

For example, if you own a restaurant, put your menu online so potential customers can check out what dishes you offer before walking through the door. Include pictures of your most popular foods and of the restaurant.

You can also create a lead magnet specifically for people planning on visiting your business—a guide that includes information about products for sale and pricing, the staff, as well as where to park and how to get there.

Paint a picture for viewers of the experience they will have if they choose to visit your business and you will be that much more likely to get them through the door.

Using a Good Website to Start Building Your Brand

Your brand identity is a critical part of how you present yourself to the public and how potential customers perceive you. Beyond the protect or service you sell, it’s what helps you to be recognizable and distinct from other similar businesses.

It’s your logo, color palette, text style, and more. And having a good website is the perfect way to hone and develop it.

But your website isn’t just a place to post pictures of your product and physical location, if you have one. It’s where you tell your company’s story.

There’s no better way to tell people who you are and where you come from than by weaving that narrative throughout your site, and it’s a big reason why your business needs a good website.

Simply put, it’s home base for everything you want to share with people about who you are and what you do.

At this point, you might be thinking… “What about Facebook? Isn’t that what my Facebook business page is supposed to do?”

Actually, no. Elements of your story may appear on your Facebook page—but the purpose of that page isn’t to craft the narrative surrounding your business. Quite the opposite, actually.

The purpose of Facebook is to provide a place for the public to respond to what you do and share what they think of your business.

By just operating off your Facebook page, you’re not only greatly weakening your chances of showing up in search engines, but you’re putting the public in charge of your story rather than claiming it for yourself.

Your website is the place to showcase who you are, what your business does, and most importantly, how it can positively influence the lives of the people you exist to serve. It’s one of the biggest reasons why you need a good website: without one, you aren’t properly sharing the powerful story you have to tell.

Your website is where the narrative you present about your business starts and it’s where you begin to build your brand.

Using a Good Website to Reach People Around the Clock

A big reason why you need a good website for your business is that there are no limitations on when you can communicate with and reach consumers. As a small business, you don’t have the resources to stay open 24/7 or even have someone answering the phone at any given time.

But with a website, you have a way for people to learn about you or even buy online from you whenever it’s convenient for them. You’re able to reach those people who are browsing the internet late at night looking for things to buy or ways to meet specific needs they have.

And remember…88% of people who visit a website for a business actually visit within 24 hours.

The more accessible you make yourself online, the better chance you have of getting people through the door of your physical location.

A big way to do this is search engine optimization—a process where you strategically tweak the language on your website to fit the most popular words and phrases people are searching for. By including these terms in your website’s copy, you make your site more likely to show up in Google searches.

However, without a website, you can’t take advantage of this ability to reach people.

Good Websites Make Money

Having a good website is a no-brainer in terms of the payoff for your business, its employees and your ROI. Businesses with a web strategy experience up to four times the revenue growth and are three times as likely to create jobs.

Without a website, you can’t do SEO. You can’t use Facebook ads to drive traffic to specific offers. You can’t create awareness of your business on any meaningful level because you aren’t where your prospects are: online.

Plus: you know who else is online?

Your competitors.

In order to stay competitive and have a chance at getting more leads and turning them into customers, you need to have an awesome website that works. That’s probably the biggest reason why your business needs a good website.

If you don’t have a website and competing businesses do, your potential customers will almost certainly go there instead.

What Does a Good Website Look Like?

First of all, let’s say it again…that guy who can build you a website for free isn’t what you need. Your website is your business card, storefront and customer representatives all wrapped into one package. It represents who and what you are as a company.

And something that important shouldn’t be skimped on.

If you get a free website, you look cheap. With a professional job—even if it costs $100s—you’ll get the online image and representation your business needs and deserves. You’ll build trust and credibility with your prospects, and that ultimately leads to more sales.

Another reason why you need a good website for our business is that you need some way to generate leads. Having a website is the fastest, easiest path to lead generation because it allows you to present a lead magnet—a free offer that solves a specific problem for people and that they can begin getting value from within five minutes of consuming it.

In terms of Customer Value Optimization, it’s the first step you take in starting a conversation about your business with a stranger, and it can eventually lead them to become a paying customer.

Good websites should also be easy to navigate, with a clear header and footer that include links to pages that feature your About Us story, products and offers and a contact page that tells people exactly how to reach you.
Your website should also include a blog. Blog posts are a great way to get people to engage with your website because they deliver useful information that subtly promotes your product or service.

For example, if you own a company that sells hair products, you might create a blog post about easy ways to take time for self-care. Maybe that doesn’t seem directly related to your product at first glance…until you provide links within the post that direct readers to pages where they can buy moisturizing scalp treatments.

A blog answers valuable questions your viewers have while also telling them about your product or service as a bonus. Plus, you can SEO your blog posts based on common search times to drive even more traffic to your website.

A huge reason why you need a good website is ultimately because it gives the public clear information about what you do and why they should buy from you. A good website has a strategy with multiple ways for readers to engage and learn more about you, plus providing a valuable resource for the lead magnet that gives you consent to contact them.

Think your business needs a good website? Schedule a free Double Your Sales Review strategy session today. In just 30 minutes, you’ll know exactly what it takes to double your sales, including what is working with your website if you have one and what you can do to improve it.