It’s a fact that 3.8 billion people use the internet every day. Every single day, you have a potential audience of 3.8 billion people. That’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss out on. Just look around and you’ll see the proof: everyone is on their phone. So, if they need anything, that’s the first place they turn.

Boiler bust? Google. Fancy a takeaway? Google. Sofa on its way out? Google.

The Yellow pages are dead — we’re living and operating business in the era of the almighty search engines.

Google Is King

So, when they’re searching for that new sofa, they’re bombarded with choice. Everything you could ever want is on there – big, small, cheap, expensive, luminous with zebra stripes (if that’s your thing) – someone will be advertising it online. So, why would they look anywhere else?

If you’re not online, then you’re not going to be in that queue of people fighting for that person’s attention. If you don’t have a website, you’re already on the back foot and will have to work hard to a) get them to know you exist b) prove you’re the better choice. So, it’s fair to say if you don’t have a website, you’re missing out on customers. Potentially hundreds, who knows? Not you – because you’re not online!

The Rewards Of Being Online

There are many benefits to having a website. Firstly, it’s a great way to showcase your business. You have control over the first impression a customer gets of your business. It’s a place that’s dedicated to branding your business and demonstrating the services or products you offer. Also, having a website makes your company feel a lot more legitimate. Showing contact details, testimonials, information about the owner are just a few examples of what people look for as reassurance. If you don’t have a website, that reassurance is lost and a competitor that has all of these things is more likely to get their business.

Moreover, your competitors will have websites. Go and have a look, they’ll be there. Probably of differing quality – and you can be sure some of them are terribly designed – but they’re still ahead of you. Therefore, whilst getting online is something you need to do, it’s something you need to be doing right. Get level with your competition and then get ahead.

It Doesn’t Cost As Much As You Think

Even as a small or medium business, you can afford to get online. The main reason for this is any money you spend on your website will be made back tenfold with the number of customers you’re likely to reach by being online. Here’s a secret though: you don’t have to do it all yourself.

There are plenty of options out there…

The DIY Way

Firstly, it is possible to achieve all this the DIY way with popular website builders such as Wix and Squarespace. These companies offer an easy-to-use way of getting your business online.

• Pros: Building your own site means you can control what goes where and manage everything yourself. Website builders also provide templates that make it easy for you to slot in your information, all at a relatively low cost.
• Cons: There’s a lot to master, from persuasive sales copy to CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation), which can be tricky if you have little experience. Plus, there are other costs to consider if you want to capture and manage leads. What you save in money you could lose in the time it takes you to make your site.

Ideal For: This is good for small startups or hobby websites who want to have somewhere to showcase their offerings.

The Agency Way

Another option is using an agency. These are the original go-to for small and medium businesses and they do a great job at providing a wide variety of skill sets all under one roof.

• Pro: With an agency, you know you’re going to get results. After all, you’re using professionals so will get great advice and a wide variety of options all at the same place.
• Cons: Understandably, these are quite expensive as their ‘done for you’ service often covers everything from design, strategy, SEO and PPC. Typically agencies charge by the hour, which means their costs can quickly add up.

Ideal For: Large businesses that want added extras building such as an e-commerce store.

You can work out if this is a good option for you by looking at how much you’d be paying the agency in comparison to how much advertising budget you have.

An Alternative Solution

Here’s an offering that bridges the gap between the two previous options. A company called Adzooma provide websites and advertising that are designed specifically for your business.

• Pros: A done-for-you service including copy, design and Google ads management (if you want it). Custom-made websites with different packages available; a cost-effective way to use the experts.
• Cons: You don’t get full control of your site and you also don’t get extras such as social media management.

Ideal For: Small and medium businesses who want sites that are optimised for lead generation.

Get The Website You Need

Whichever route you opt for, what’s most important is getting yourself a website. This is something that should be on all of your advertising; from flyers and banners, to shop windows and the side of your van. So if you’re shouting about it, you want it to be good. You don’t want people to go to your site and not make it super easy for them to become a customer. A good website can be an invaluable source of customer enquiries and highly targeted leads, so there’s a lot you’re missing out on if you don’t have one.

What Are You Waiting For?

As a reminder, here are just some of the benefits a website will provide:

• Showcase your services/products
• Build trust and reassurance
• Beat your competitors
• Create a good first impression
• Make it easy for people to find you
• Gain lots of leads/enquiries

Remember, 3.8 billion people are using the internet every day. You need no further proof that it plays a massive part in people’s lives. This is your audience. Adapt to them. Get it right. If you’re not confident achieving all this yourself then use the experts. This way you know your website will be right: clear, stylish and targeted at the right people. Plus, since a lot of people struggle to achieve this, yours will be better than your competitors and convert a lot more visitors into customers.