Often, when business owners turn to us for web design, they are worried about the costs associated with building a stronger online presence. That’s understandable – nobody likes to spend money they don’t have to, and it can be hard to calculate the exact return you’ll get from your investment.
However, one thing we always like to remind them is that you should expect to make money from a new business website. In fact, a new layout, with some fresh features, can actually pay for itself pretty quickly. Even better, the returns can keep coming for many years, to the point that your new website pays you back again and again.
To help you understand how this happens, and why the right web design is worth the dent it will put in your marketing budget, let’s look at 12 ways you can profit from a new business website…
- More Customers Find You Online
The easiest way to profit from a new business website is by making contact with more potential customers. A site that is optimized for visibility on Google and the other search engines can attract dozens, or even hundreds, of buyers to your pages each and every month. Some percentage of those will turn into customers, giving you a reliable and affordable stream of new revenue that wouldn’t have been possible without a targeted search engine optimization campaign. - You Make a Stronger First Impression on Buyers
Whether they are coming to you through search engines, referrals, or even internet ads, new potential customers make snap decisions about the credibility of your business and the value of your products or services. If what they see on your website impresses them right away, they are more likely to work with you and pay higher prices. If they aren’t impressed, they might take their attention to one of your competitors. Given that these first impressions can shape their thoughts in an instant, a great web design can have a huge (but often hidden) value. - It’s Easier For Local Buyers to Find You
One thing any great business web design team is going to pay attention to is local search engine optimization. That just means your business will be easier to find when customers in your area turn to Google or Bing. Whether you realize it or not, these search engines give you a big home-field advantage when matching you with buyers who are in your city or neighborhood. Local buyers tend to make bigger and more frequent purchases, and to stick with vendors for longer. So, those are exactly the kinds of customers your website should attract. - You Get Customers Who Fit Your Business
Even putting location aside, a good website and online marketing plan make it easier for you to attract customers who are a perfect match for whatever you happen to sell. By shaping your keyword strategy, social interactions, and email marketing (as examples), you can narrow in on a specific type of buyer and be sure they understand why your products and services are such a great value for them. That’s the first step towards building a very loyal customer base, and increasing your profitability year after year. - You Can Sell More to Existing Customers
Improving a website isn’t just about finding new customers; you can also use your pages to sell more products or services to existing buyers. That’s particularly true if you add eCommerce features to your site that allow them to place repeat orders or take advantage of volume discounts. You might also improve specialized marketing tools that let you pitch new specials based on factors like location or purchase history. It takes a lot of work to win a new customer, so why not sell more to the ones you have? - Your Business Gets Better Word of Mouth Advertising
Word of mouth advertising has always been an important and efficient marketing tool. That’s still true in the internet age, with the difference that buyers share reviews and contact information online. You can use your new business website as a hub for reviews and social activity, both encouraging customers to say good things about your company and helping to spread the testimonials you receive to new prospects. Nothing sells like a recommendation from a third-party, and there are lots of ways to spread the good word about your business. - You Can Sell Online
Now that the digital age has gone mainstream, business owners tend to take eCommerce for granted. By that we mean they don’t necessarily think about it when looking for new revenue opportunities associated with a website redesign. However, you don’t have to be focused on launching the next Amazon.com to earn revenue every month from online sales. Even some of our professional services clients are able to offer blocks of time and information products, or just make a switch to online billing. You might be able to add something to your bottom line with a simple shopping cart and fulfillment system. - Your Business Can Get More Leads
Naturally, you don’t have to sell directly through your website to make big bottom-line improvements. In fact, depending on the kind of company you have, you might be better suited to online lead generation. A lot of business owners underestimate the power of these campaigns. Imagine having your very best salesperson working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. How much easier would it be to run your company if buyers can find your company for themselves online, figure out they are a good match for what you have, and then schedule appointments directly from your pages? - You Spend Less Time With Customer Service Requests
It’s amazing how much time some business owners and their employees spend on customer service. If you feel like every new order seems to generate a fresh set of questions or follow-up requests, a new business website might be just what you need. That’s because advanced CRMs, FAQs, online video, and other features can be employed to help customers help themselves. Over time, that translates to fewer calls, visits, and email chains back-and-forth with buyers, saving you time and money every month. - The Press May Take Notice of Your Company
When you’re trying to get the word out about your company, every advantage helps. It doesn’t matter whether you want attention from the local press, a publication within your industry, or even an influential blogger – you want the appropriate editor to see your website and come away thinking your company looks like a resource their readers need to know about. This comes back to first impressions, of course, but also a press section of your website that gives background information, high-quality photos, and other resources for a publisher on a tight deadline. - Mobile Customers Can See Your Content
When a potential customer comes to your website and then leaves without doing anything, you never find out why they didn’t take the next step. Perhaps that’s why we still see companies putting off the improvements needed to make their layouts compatible with mobile devices. If buyers accessing the internet through phones and tablets can’t see your content correctly, it’s going to cost you sales. And in some cases, the easiest way to add mobile functionality to your pages is to simply redesign your business website and enjoy all the other benefits on this list at the same time. - Your Website is Online More Often
If having a website that isn’t mobile-friendly hurts your sales potential, then having a website that’s not online for anyone when it’s supposed to be is even worse. Unfortunately, your site can be taken off-line for lots of reasons, including hosting problems, missing design elements, and issues with old plug-ins. These sorts of things can usually be found and repaired during a website audit, but the better long-term fix for an aging layout is to simply upgrade to something more functional and reliable.
Ready to Get More from Your Business Website?
Not every one of these dozen benefits applies to every business or situation. However, you can probably boost your bottom line results – in terms of new sales, referrals, and even saved time – by making improvements to your website. You just need help from an online marketing company that will take the time to evaluate your needs and come up with a winning plan.
If you want to get that process started, why not contact WebWize in Houston today? We’ll be happy to give you a free consultation and answer any questions you might have.
About Glenn Brooks
Glenn Brooks is the founder of WebWize, Inc. WebWize has provided web design, development, hosting, SEO and email services since 1994. Glenn graduated from SWTSU with a degree in Commercial Art and worked in the advertising, marketing, and printing industries for 18 years before starting WebWize.