In today’s digital age, having an online presence is essential for any small business looking to grow and succeed. As a small business owner, one of the most important questions you may grapple with is: Should I get a website for my small business in 2024?
The answer is yes because there are countless benefits a website can offer to help establish your brand online, reach more customers, generate leads and sales, and set your business up for success in 2024. This article will explore the compelling reasons why your small business can no longer afford to not have a website in today’s marketplace.
We’ll also break down exactly what elements your site needs, what it will cost, and how to maximize your investment once it’s up and running.
Table of Contents
Why Should You Get a Website for Your Small Business?
1. Increases Visibility and Leads
The most basic benefit of having a website is increased visibility. People looking for businesses like yours often search online to find information, options, and recommendations. If your business doesn’t have a website, you are essentially invisible to these potential customers. A well-optimized website allows people to easily find and learn about your business. This sea of new online visitors and traffic can directly convert to more leads and sales.
2. Allows You to Communicate Your Brand Story
Your website gives you a platform to tell your brand’s story, establish your voice, and control the narrative around your business. Through compelling content, visuals, and strategic messaging, you can share your mission, values, unique selling proposition, and why customers should choose you. This level of brand communication is difficult to achieve without an owned online presence.
3. Enables Online Sales and Commerce
If you sell products or services, a website equipped with e-commerce capabilities enables you to sell directly to customers online. This provides additional revenue streams and gives customers the convenience of shopping from your business anytime, anywhere. As a small business, setting up an e-commerce website is easier and more affordable than ever.
4. Improves Customer Service and Engagement
Your website can be a hub for customers to get information about your business, interact with your brand, access customer support, sign up for newsletters, and more. These experiences improve customer service, nurture leads, and build engagement. Happy, engaged customers are more likely to recommend your business to others.
5. Establishes Credibility and Professionalism
In today’s business landscape, having a website conveys professionalism and establishes credibility. Customers want to do business with legitimate companies they can trust. An informative, well-designed website demonstrates you are a serious and established business committed to meeting customer needs.
Also, we have a complete article on the top 15 Reasons your Business needs a website read for a better understanding of the importance of a website for your business.
How Can I Get a Website For My Small Business?
Once you decide you need a website, the next step is figuring out how to get one designed and built. Here are 5 common options for small businesses to get a professional website up and running:
1. Use a DIY Website Builder
DIY website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly allow you to choose from hundreds of pre-made templates and drag-and-drop modules to easily build your site without any coding needed. This can be the quickest and most budget-friendly route to get online, with basic plans starting as low as $5/month. However, you are limited in terms of customization and advanced functionality.
2. Hire a Freelance Web Developer
Hiring an experienced freelance web developer is a great way to get a fully custom website tailored exactly to your brand’s needs. They can handle everything from planning the site architecture to designing and developing the front end and back end. Prices vary widely based on project scope but expect to invest around $500-$5000+ for a good quality, custom-built small business website. The benefit is you get a site crafted just for you.
3. Hire a Web Design Agency
For a fully strategic, high-quality website with custom design, development, and ongoing optimization, hiring an experienced web design agency is advisable for most small businesses. While agencies have higher upfront costs compared to freelancers or DIY options, you get an immersive end-to-end experience with experts guiding you. Top agencies like Digital Arcane offer comprehensive website strategy, UX design, copywriting, SEO optimization, and maintenance to get the best results.
4. Buy a Pre-Made Website Template
If you want a cheaper business website without hiring an agency or freelancer, you can purchase pre-made website templates from online marketplaces like TemplateMonster or ThemeForest. You get a designed template you can then customize with your branding, content, pages, and functionality. This is faster than having a site built from scratch. Costs range from $50-$500+ for templates.
5. Use an E-commerce Platform
If selling products or services online is a priority, using a dedicated e-commerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce makes the website-building process much easier. These platforms provide built-in tools for elements like payments, shipping, inventories, CRM, and more specifically for running an online storefront. Shopify plans start at $29/month for basic online stores. This route simplifies the technical aspects of setting up eCommerce.
Final thoughts
The best option for your business depends on your budget, needs, and capabilities. However, working with seasoned website-building professionals, whether a freelancer, agency, or platform, is highly recommended to ensure you get a high-performing, strategic website that effectively furthers your business goals.
There is simply no reason for any small business today to not have a website. The benefits of establishing your brand online, being discoverable to new customers, and directly generating leads and sales through your website are too significant to ignore in today’s digital marketplace.
Affordable website builders, freelancers, and web design agencies have made the barriers to getting a professional website up and running virtually non-existent for small businesses. Don’t leave potential business and growth opportunities on the table by remaining invisible online. Investing in a strategic website designed to engage customers and convert visitors into sales is one of the smartest investments you can make for your small business’s success.
