A website is a perfect way to introduce your business to potential customers and provide them with all the information they need to make a transaction. Not only does a website allow you to showcase your products and services, but it also gives you the opportunity to build a relationship with your customers. By providing valuable content, answering customer questions and offering exceptional customer service, you can encourage customers to return to your website time and time again. Investing in a strong website has the ability to increase sales even if your business only sells items within a physical store.

The Purpose of a Website

When it comes to running a business, a website is essential. A website allows you to introduce your business to potential customers, providing them with all the information they need to make a transaction, and building an important relationship between business and customer. Additionally, a website gives you the opportunity to showcase your products and services, offer valuable content, answer customer questions and provide exceptional customer service. By doing all of this, you can encourage customers to return to your website time and time again.

Pros of Having a Website

Helps Customers Find You

When you have a website, customers can easily find your business with the click of a button. A website allows you to direct customers to your site via paid advertisements, articles, blogging, social media posts and/or e-newsletters. Furthermore, you can set up your website to have your contact information easily accessible so that those without internet access can contact you at their convenience.

Provides Credibility

A website allows you to build credibility with customers by showcasing your credentials, awards and testimonials. Similarly, having a site increases your search engine optimization (SEO), which can help drive more traffic to your website — and therefore your business. In addition, sites that are full of valuable information allow potential customers to get a feel for how knowledgeable you are about your industry.

Reach a New Audience

Websites provide a great way to reach new audiences who aren't aware of you. You can dramatically increase your number of potential customers by having a website that reaches beyond the people who frequent the area where your store is physically located.

Learn About Your Customers Through Analytics

Having a website allows you to track what your customers are doing. You can see how long they spend on the site, where they came from and what products or services they might be interested in. By understanding your customer base better, you can provide customers with the content that is most relevant to them, keep them coming back for more and improve their overall experience.

The Lights Are Always On

Odds are that your physical store closes at some point. However, with a website, you can remain accessible to your customers at all hours of the day and night. Whether it’s through social media, an online chat widget or a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, having a site allows you to provide assistance and resolve problems immediately. This makes for happy customers who are more likely to pay you visits in the future.

Cons of Having a Website

Additional Cost

Having a website doesn’t come for free. Depending on the type of site you want, it will cost some amount of money to hire someone to build your site or do it yourself. Additionally, there are hosting fees that need to be paid each month in order to keep your information secure and accessible by customers. When determining if you want to build your own website or pay someone to do it, take into account the amount of time it will take you to learn different aspects of building a website, as well as how much the various options will cost. You should also consider the potential cost of not having a website — your lack of an online presence may negatively impact your overall business. Another Business Aspect to Manage

If you already manage a physical location, adding a website to the mix can be an additional burden. You’ll need to update your site with current information and monitor feedback from customers in order to make sure nothing is amiss. Having someone build your website for you can minimize the time and effort that goes into updating it, but it won’t eliminate it completely. However, it’s important that you also view time dedicated to managing your website as an investment that can pay substantial dividends over time.

Tips for a Successful Website

Easy Navigation

Make it a priority to create a site that people can easily navigate. Customers should be able to find the information they need in a fairly short amount of time. By having separate sections that are easy to click on, customers will be able to quickly get from one topic to another without much backtracking. This also makes it easier for search engines to crawl your site and index it correctly.

Focus on the Visuals

A website does not have to be text-heavy, and should generally follow the “less is more” mantra. However, there are many different types of media that can illustrate your points on the site. By including pictures, videos and diagrams on your site, you can effectively get your message across without having to write everything out in detail. Visual elements can also help create an emotional connection with potential consumers as they look at the site.

Write in a Clear and Concise Manner

Be clear and concise when writing. Customers should be able to quickly read through each page without much trouble. By explaining your products in simple terms, you can avoid losing potential customers who are confused by jargon or complicated sentences.

Provide Valuable Information

By providing valuable and interesting content on your website, you can make visitors want to return to the site multiple times. This does not mean that all content should be superficial fluff. You can provide useful information to customers, such as tips and tricks, how-to articles and any relevant industry news. However, you’ll want to make sure that each piece of content is useful and does not seem like filler.

Let Customers Contact You

It's vital when building your website that you create some way for customers to contact you. Whether it’s through a contact form, email address or live chat option, customers need to know that they can easily share their concerns and desires with you. By providing an easy way for customers to reach out and connect with you directly, you build up trust and develop lasting relationships.

Encourage People to Visit Your Website

Once you have your site up and running, let others know about it. Send out promotional emails to previous customers, post on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook and try to get mentioned in online publications. You can also mention the website to customers who come into your physical store. This will allow them to share a link with their friends and help you gain more exposure.

How Can Acima Help?

If you're looking to find new customers, Acima can help! Our lease-to-own* solutions can help drive online sales through the Acima MarketPlace with proprietary browser extension technology that is quick to implement at no additional cost. Find out more about how you can team up with Acima today and grow your business.

Common Questions about Business Websites:

How do I make a business website?

If you're inexperienced when it comes to building a website, don't worry — there are many options available to you. You can either build a website yourself using online tools and resources, or you can hire a professional to do it for you. Building a website can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it does require some time and effort to learn the basics. If you're not sure where to start, there are plenty of online tutorials and guides that can walk you through the step-by-step process.

What draws people to a website?

In the end, content is what drives people to a website and helps keep them there. It's important that you provide valuable and relevant information on your site so that customers can easily find what they need. Whether you choose to include pictures, videos, news articles or some combination of those things, make sure your website provides value to your target audience.

How do I promote my new website?

There are many different ways to promote a website. From investing in digital advertising that drives people to your website or engaging in social media campaigns that encourage people to share your website with friends, there are a variety of different marketing strategies you can employ. When deciding on a promotional strategy, it's important to consider your target audience and what will most likely appeal to them directly. How can I attract customers?

Customers want to have a positive experience. Whether that's a positive experience with a product or engagement with a helpful, interesting website, they want to know that their needs are going to be met. Make sure that your website does everything it can to promote trust and encourage customers to visit multiple times.