Why do I need a website anyway?

LG-WEBSITEBy Rebecca Maxim, Social Media and Communications @ TGM Design

Surprisingly, a lot of businesses don’t have a website and would rather spend their money on advertising but there are many benefits to having a website that you don’t gain from the radio or print advertising.

Firstly, websites, unlike your office, run 24/7 so can be viewed at anytime from anywhere and since nearly everyone in New Zealand has access to the internet, it’s a perfect tool to advertise your services.

Secondly, your website can be updated as often as you like with no added cost, so if you have a new product to promote – putting it on your website should be your first point of call. Paying for a new advert every time you have something to promote is costly, but with a CMS (Content Management System), you can easily add and edit the content on your site whenever you like, as often as you like, at no extra cost. Having valuable content that explains what you do and how you help customers will answer a lot of potential questions someone might otherwise have to phone up to ask, saving time and therefore money.

Another reason you must have a website is so that you can compete with your competitors, who will more than likely have a website. Websites act as a confirmation to customers that you actually exist so if you’re not online, no doubt someone else who offers the same services as you will be. Most customers make a decision on a business based on their website so not only do you need a website, you need a good website.

Last but not least, you can use your website as an online shop, selling products and services instantly. This is called an ecommerce website. More and more Customers are choosing to buy online, so you no longer have to get people through the door to make a sale – they can buy from the comfort of their own home or office.

As you can see, having a website is pretty crucial and fairly straight forward to set up and update, but getting people to it and being found in a search result is another thing completely. This is why SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is as important as having a website. Here are some tips to help you optimise your website for free:

Create good content: Make sure you have key words in your content that customers use when searching for your services.
Make your website popular: Google is a clever thing and lists websites based on how popular they are. So the higher you are on a search result will result from the more links to your website.
Join the social media revolution: Not only will this add links to your website but it will increase your online presence, making it impossible for customers to ignore you.

There are many reasons to have a website but most importantly it’s probably the cheapest yet most effective form of advertising you can do. At TGM Design we can create your website and help you to make it as effective as possible so that you’re not left behind.

Stay ahead of your competitors and contact us to find out more.