Your website is the single most important marketing tool for your business. They aren’t just a luxury, but a necessity. It serves as a virtual equivalent of a physical business for over 3 billion users.
When you want to learn more about a company, I’m guessing you Google it before you end up on their website. This also goes for the products and services you are looking for. I would imagine your customers do the same, and if they do not find your business, they will simply select one of your competitors.
Data
Views. Downloads. Demographics. Average visit length. Conversation rates. Bounce rates. Referrals. Sales.
Thanks to analytics, websites can now gather important data about consumers every second of the day. This data can then be used to understand your customers better and how to market to them more effectively. Additionally, the data generated can also be used to help you refine your business processes and internal policies.
Gathering information like this is ‘offline’ world is almost impossible – only your website enables you to gain the vital information you need to optimise your sales funnels, and achieve long-lasting, sustainable growth.
Legitimacy
Ahead of being found and creating a positive, lasting first impression, your website legitimises the existence of your brand in the market. Potential consumers who are visiting your site for the first time will appreciate a smartly presented, professional and trustworthy looking website.
In this sense, the design of the website does the marketing for you. You do not need to tell customers you are professional and trustworthy as they will come to that realisation themselves.
Awareness
Marketing is about being noticed, and what better way is there to get your brand out there than to promote yourself online. With the growth of social media, companies are sharing their message, products and services more frequently than ever before. Free services like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn allow you to target specific audiences to promote your business.
Relationships
Having an engaging online presence gives you the opportunity to build better relationships with your customers, and will give them the incentive to get to know you and your business better. Your website offers a great platform for consumers to browse your products without ‘selling’ to them. It’s a great way for them to look at what you do, in their own time, to see how you could help. You can build better relationships through tailored content; blogs, company history, pictures, videos etc. A website allows you to market yourself and your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.