Am I Losing Something If I Don't Have a Website?
Why Every Business (Brick and Mortar Or Online) Should Have An Effective Website So, while most readers of this blog have one or probably more websites, I thought I would do some research on the businesses who do not have websites.
In fact, almost 43% of small businesses do not have a website, according to Entrepreneur Magazine. For those who haven’t yet built websites or those who haven’t fully optimized their sites, here are five reasons why every business (brick and mortar or online) should have an effective website. You never know who is searching for your product and who might be your next potential customer. I work with fashion accessory designers, but I also consult with traditional brick and mortar companies handling marketing. One of our clients had just put up a website and it was purely informational.
Within a couple of weeks, he received an inquiry from the government. He now has a lucrative, multi-year government contract. A better website gives you a leg up on your competition. Let’s face it. If your website looks better than your competitors, you will get more business. Why? A well-produced site signals to customers that a company is legitimate and communicates the critical product information needed to turn browsers into buyers. If your website looks professional, is stylish, has a clean layout, an obvious call to action, and is SEO-optimized, then you are well on your way. Social media brings sales.
In conjunction with your website, I recommend Facebook e-commerce pages. Businesses should effectively take advantage of Facebook as a viable sales vehicle with a proven sales return. Facebook provided the recent case studies: Incipio Technologies, a firm that sells iPhone and other gadget cases and peripherals, found that Facebook has been its second highest source of traffic over the past eight months. Secondly, online ticketing service Eventbrite revealed in October 2010 that each time someone shares a link to an event with their Facebook friends, it results in $2.52 worth of ticket sales.
Tweet out a link, or better yet a photo, with a link to buy and the conversion rates are solid. Additionally, with the introduction of Google +, although it is not available for businesses profiles just yet, it will be a major player in the social media game, and businesses should realize that this is a huge opportunity for them to gain some market share. (Connect with me via G+ here.) Websites which are optimized for mobile devices = more sales. Bon Mercado, Mobile Ads Product Specialist at Google, stated last week that consumers, on average, now spend $300 per purchase via mobile devices, as people become more comfortable purchasing higher-priced items.
Despite increasing consumer acceptance and better industry collaboration, Mercado said, 79% of large online brands do not have a mobile optimized site. Companies which blog have higher sales. Companies who blog consistently have sales which are 55% higher than companies who do not blog. Drip content out to your customers and always have something to say. People are paying attention.
(Published in http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/7681/5-money-making-reasons-to-get-an-e-commerce-site/)