Smart Business Owners Have a Website
Hey smart business owner, why don’t you have a website? Not having one in this day and age is really kind of dumb.
First of all let me apologize to you for using the word “dumb” but, think about it… With all the options available to you as a small business owner, it’s hard to imagine that nearly half of you still do not have a website for your business.
According to a recent survey, nearly 46% of small business owners in the U.S. with 1 to 10 employees still do not have a website.
Table Of Contents
- Some Reasons Small Businesses Don’t Have a Site
- #1 – I Can’t Afford to Hire a Web Designer
- #2 – I Don’t Have the Technical Skill Needed to Build a Website
- #3 – My Social Media Page Can Substitute for a Website
- #4 – My Type of Business Doesn’t Require a Website
- Just Do It! Build Your Website Today!
Some Reasons Small Businesses Don’t Have a Site
Let’s explore some of the reasons why you may have chosen not to represent yourself online:
1. I can’t afford to hire a web designer
The first misconception that most business owners need to get out of their heads is that they need to have some fancy, elaborate website. You don’t… In most cases if you are just starting out, you may only need a one page website or just a small setup with no more than four pages: Home, About, Products/services and Contact page.
You will find that most web designers can do this for very little cost. Also, if they build the page using a content management system such as WordPress, the cost should be minimal. If they are savvy enough they should be able to create a site that is easily scalable when you are ready to expand your presence online.
2. I don’t have the technical skill needed to build a website
Each day someone is coming up with a new solution that makes building or creating a business website easier and easier. Wix.com and Weebly.com both offer DIY platforms that allow your website to be up and running within minutes.
Google has set a goal of getting 30,000 small businesses online for the upcoming shopping season and beyond. It recently teamed up with the U.S. Small Business Administration to make creating an online presence much easier. The live-streaming event the two held offered all sorts of tips that show business owners how to better connect in a digital world.
The October 2016 event touched on the importance of using online tools such as “Google My Business” and how they have teamed up with other groups such as StartLogic to provide a way to build a website for free (for at least the first year).
VistaPrint has improved its website builder which promises you can now create a website in under an hour. The tool also, fully integrates with other VistaPrint products.
Even GoDaddy has gotten in on the action by revamping their WordPress installation process. They now offer what they are calling “The Website Builder” install process which is a more streamlined process of installing WordPress, a WordPress Theme, as well as the ability to add images to your website.
As you can see, building a website has never been easier. I would encourage you to explore one of these options. You can also try the WordPress builder tutorial on this site. It will step you through how to plan and make your own WordPress website.
3. My social media page can substitute for a website
Having a Social Media Page is Not a Website. Do not assume that because you have a Facebook page you don’t need a website. A few of the reasons a social media page is not a substitute for a web page:
- You are limited to the degree of control you have to promote your brand and your message. For example, Facebook can decide at any time to remove or restrict your Facebook fan page.
- You are limited from a creative design standpoint. You can only change or customize the page to the degree that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. will allow.
- You are limited in the number of characters, words and images you can use on social media pages.
Social media pages work best when they are used in conjunction with a website.
4. My type of business does not require a website
I bet that I can think of more reasons to have a website than you can to not have one. Do you really think that it’s smart business sense to not attempt to attract and retain customers online? It’s like leaving money on the table.
Having a website and more importantly a web presence will allow you to connect to a whole new world of customers. In addition, many of your future customers, particularly Millennials will more than likely come from the web.
At the end of the day, only you can decide if your business needs a website. But don’t forgo a website because you don’t fully understand the benefits or make the decision due to short-shortsightedness or the fear of the unknown.
Just Do It! Build Your Website Today!
As you can see, there really is no reason not to have your own website and it makes perfect business sense to have one. As Nike says, “Just Do It”!
I completely agree with you Johnny that having an online presence will allow you to connect to new customers!
Most people have no idea where to start or how to go about the process. No matter what platform somebody uses, static, WordPress, Wix.com, etc. I always tell them to make sure they install some sort of analytics software, such as Google Analytics, just so they can know if they are getting traffic. Thanks for commenting.
You are welcome Johnny,
I also think that people are not aware of the importance of having that kind of software. I appreciate the clarification of your advice as well.
As an open source guy, I experimented with Open Web Analytics as well. You should check it out if you haven’t already!