If you’ve recently started a business or are looking to take your current one to the next level, this question might have popped into your head at some point – do you really need a website?
It might seem like a hassle or an opportunity, depending on who you ask but it’s an important thing to consider in this digital age.
We all know that the internet is not going away any time soon so should you become part of it?
Is it worth it?
The first consideration to make is – is it worth it? You can set up a free website on WordPress but if you want to compete in your market, the chances are you’re going to have to splash some cash and invest in your website.
This means buying a domain, setting up hosting and getting a theme or web designer on board. The costs can quickly add up, so you need to know you’re going to get some return on your investment.
The most important question you can ask yourself here is: where are your customers? If you’re running a local shop in a village, your customers are in the surrounding area so there’s probably no desperate need for a website. However, if you know there’s a pool of potential clients online, then a website is well worth the investment.
Pros and cons to setting up a website
Pro – A website can become a hub for your digital marketing efforts with everything focused on bringing visitors to your website in the hope that some of them will become customers. Without a website, you can’t take full advantage of blogging and social media marketing.
Con – The costs aren’t always viable for new start-ups looking to keep costs down. There are costs associated with buying a domain and hosting, designing and maintaining your website and doing the marketing to get it in front of potentials.
Pro – Having a website helps to make you look legitimate. Who doesn’t have a website these days? A website gives people a chance to find out more about your business and helps to build trust.
Con – It takes a lot of maintenance to keep it going, you’d have to think about advertising, SEO, blogging and outreach. So if you don’t have the resources to keep it maintained or the money to hire an agency to do it for you, it might not be an option yet.
Consider the alternatives
If you want to sell products, then a lot of people simply set up on eBay or Amazon and use those established platforms to operate on. Many never see the point in getting a website because they see enough success there. It could be worth exploring this option first if you’re hesitant to start a website.
On the other hand, if you’re selling a service, an online marketplace is probably not going to work.
Getting started
If you’re ready to take the plunge and set up a website, we’re here to help you get started.
The first thing you need is a domain. It’s always worth checking whether a domain name is available before you decide on a business name as it’ll be easier to find you online if the names match.
The next thing you need is hosting, this means essentially renting server space to host your website files. The host will upload all these files whenever anyone views your website so it’s important to find a trustworthy, reliable hosting company.
Once your website is hosted, you’ll need to design it and populate it with content that explains what you do and how customers can buy from you. It helps to have someone responsible for website maintenance or an agency that can cover this for you. The next step is to get marketing!
If you’re going to set up a website and need help with marketing it, get in touch with Team Organic. We specialise in boosting your website in the search engine rankings through SEO tactics, social media marketing and blogging.
