Websites are an invaluable business tool. Although the technology used to create websites has changed dramatically over the years and will continue to do so in the future, their importance for businesses today is as high as ever.
So to stay ahead of your competitors, you need to adapt quickly and use every advantage that you have available.
In this article, we will explore 10 reasons why every business needs a website in 2024. By the end, you will have a clear understanding of how a website can benefit your business, no matter what industry you’re in.
But first, let’s discuss an important question — are websites still relevant?
Are websites still relevant in this age of social media?
You bet they are!
While social media is great for generating a buzz and creating noise around your brand, a website is still the best way to establish and build trust with potential customers.
With a website, you have complete control over your content and can share your brand in any way you want. Unlike social media where you are at the mercy of algorithms and the platform that ends up owning whatever you post.
So yes, websites are still very relevant in 2024 — and they will be even more important than ever before!
Is it important to have a website when you’re already active on social media?
The short answer is: yes.
While social media platforms are great for building relationships and engaging with customers, they should be thought of as supplemental to your website.
Your website is the only place on the internet that you can truly control – and it’s important to take advantage of that control.
A website gives you a place to control your brand’s message and ensure that customers can find the information they need. It’s also a great platform for selling directly to customers or capturing leads for sales follow-up.
Do small businesses need a website?
Websites are just as valuable to small businesses as they are to larger businesses.
A website allows small businesses to level the playing field and compete with larger businesses in terms of reach and visibility.
It is also a cost-effective way for small businesses to market their products and services. Small businesses can use their website to attract customers and build relationships that will lead to more business.
While creating a website may sound like an expensive venture, it usually is not.
The availability of WordPress themes for business is too much, but you can use a theme like Astra along with the free library of hundreds of pre-made Starter Templates to design a stunning website without hiring a developer!
10 reasons why a business website is absolutely important in 2024
Let’s now take a look at the top 10 reasons why every type of business — large or small, new or established — must have a professional website in 2024.
1. Having a website gives your business credibility
Consumers are bombarded with choices. They can find anything they need with just a few clicks. So when they’re looking for a product or service, they’ll likely turn to the internet to find the best option.
When they land on your website, you only have a few seconds to make a good impression. That’s why it’s important to have a professional-looking website that is credible and trustworthy.
A well-designed website with high-quality content helps you build trust and credibility with your audience.
Once you have built credibility, there is more brand recall for products and services allowing you to get better results with your marketing efforts.
2. Your website markets your business 24×7
A website works 24×7 to ensure that your business is seen by as many people as possible. As the website levels your playing field, you can begin scaling your business and products across different countries to get even more sales and customers.
As you can see in the above screenshot, a quick search on the Astra theme shows all the blogs that wpastra.com has about installing, using, and customizing it.
The content you create will continue to rank on Google search results and generate leads and sales for your business long after it has been written!
These search results are not limited by your geographical proximity to your visitors so you have the freedom to scale your business to whichever country you can serve.
3. Cost-effective marketing
Websites are one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available for small businesses.
They’re relatively cheap to set up and maintain, and they can generate a lot of leads and sales with the right marketing strategies in place.
If you want to set your website up for success, you need to ensure that you have two things in place — solid SEO and great content.
Content is subjective and needs research on what competitors have done before you begin writing.
SEO is technical. You need a few plugins to get the basics right for SEO and then grow from there.
Take a look at the example above. This is not your typical Google search result with the blue links and gray text.
How does Google know to show images when you ask for a recipe?
That’s because of schema.
Implementing proper schema on your website can ensure it stands out in the search results whenever possible. A great plugin to get schema in place is Schema Pro. It helps you automatically add the right schema to the right pages.
4. You can track data and measure results
Another great thing about having a website is that you can track data and measure your results.
You can use analytics tools like Google Analytics to monitor website traffic, see which pages are most popular, find out where visitors are coming from, and more.
This will help generate valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.
With this information in hand, you can refine your marketing strategies and continue to improve your results over time.
As you can see in the above example of the Google Analytics (GA) dashboard, you see the required information right on the screen.
Once you’ve set up GA correctly, you can even design funnels to identify which pages are the most effective and which need improvement.
The more you explore, the more insights you’ll uncover. With Google’s new natural language reporting, you can simply type a question in natural language and an analytics report will be presented to you!
5. Allows you to showcase your products and services
You can use a website to show off your products and services in a way that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
This is a great way to attract potential customers and give them a taste of what you have to offer.
This can be made possible with WooCommerce — the ecommerce solution for WordPress websites.
In the above screenshot, we’ve used Elementor with Ultimate Addons for Elementor to create a minimal product slider grid that users can scroll through. The drag-and-drop interface makes it very easy to create such product displays on your website.
Plus, websites are great platforms for customer testimonials.
If you have happy customers, ask them to write a review or testimonial that you can post on your website. The above example is one of the testimonial blocks from Elementor that allow you to display customer testimonials in a beautiful and eye-catchy manner.
This is a great way to build trust and credibility among potential customers, and it will help you stand out from the competition.
6. You control your content and how it is displayed
When you create a website, you have complete control over the content and how it is presented.
This means that you can tailor your site to match your brand identity and ensure that all of your marketing messages are consistent.
Plus, with a website, you can easily make changes and update your content as needed. This is much more difficult to do with other marketing channels, such as social media, Google Ads, print media, or TV. You have to meet their requirements before any of your content goes live on their platforms.
So if you want to have complete control over your online presence, a website is the way to go.
7. Use a website to build relationships with customers
One of the biggest benefits of having a website is the ability to easily communicate with your customers. You can use your website to provide customer support, offer live chat, and even connect with customers on a personal level by writing about yourself, your business, and the story behind building it.
Here’s an example of an automated chatbot that users can ask questions to. If it’s one of the common questions already in the database, the bot quickly replies with an answer. If not, a live chat agent jumps in to help.
This two-way communication is essential for building strong relationships with your customers. It helps you understand their needs and desires, so you can better serve them.
8. Answer FAQs
When a customer visits your website or a product page, they will have a lot of questions in their mind. Is the product legit? Does the product come with a refund guarantee? Do you get support after the purchase?
Answering these questions as quickly in the customer journey as possible can help you remove the barriers to a sale.
The above example from Elementor’s FAQ page answers most of the questions that users may have about the product. If the answer is not available here, there’s always the live chat option where they can ask the question!
9. Help generate leads and sales
Creating beautiful websites with content is just one part. You need to redirect your visitors to your sales page as smoothly as possible.
This is called journey design or flow design. Customer flow designing is a powerful way of generating leads and sales with minimal upkeep.
Here’s an example of a flow design using CartFlows. If you want to direct your customer from your blog > sales pages > checkout page > upsells > thank you page, you need to hand-hold them to take the right steps.
The best way is to design it with a visual builder as shown below.
This will help you get a top-level view of how your customers will walk through your website into your funnel and identify any loopholes that can prevent them from reaching the destination page.
You can add as many or as few steps if it makes sense for the type of customers you are targeting. And once you have a working funnel with minimal leaks, you have a system in place that will work day and night to give you leads and customers without human intervention!
10. A powerful tool for social media marketing
Websites are essential for social media marketing because they provide a space for businesses to connect with their target audience and share engaging content. They allow you to build relationships, increase brand awareness, and promote your products or services in a timely and personal way.
Furthermore, websites make it easy to track your results so that you can optimize your efforts and measure your success.
Overall, having a website is essential for any social media marketing campaign.
Business website FAQs
Do small businesses need a website?
The answer to whether or not you need a website for your business depends on various factors such as what kind of business you have and what your goals are. If you’re looking to boost your visibility online and reach new potential customers, then having a website is essential.
On the other hand, if you already have an established brand offline, then a website may not be absolutely necessary but still a good to have. Regardless of your situation, you can start exploring the online world by creating a blog and building your online presence from there.
Does a business need a website if it has an active social media presence?
Yes, businesses need websites even if they have an active social media presence. Having a website gives businesses greater control over their online presence, allows them to communicate directly with customers, and enables them to more effectively reach new audiences.
Additionally, having a website can help businesses establish credibility and trust among customers. So even though social media is important, businesses should not overlook the importance of having a strong website.
What do users generally look for in a website?
Functionality, simplicity, and a clean design are at the top of users’ lists. Users also want helpful and trustworthy content, easy navigation, and relevant information. In other words, they want a website that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also informative and user-friendly.
Can you get leads from your website?
Lead generation is one of the main purposes of having a website. By having forms, CTAs, and other conversion elements, you can turn web traffic into leads.
How do I start a small business website easily?
You can easily start a small business website using WordPress by following these simple steps:
- Choose a domain name. This is the address people will type into their browser to visit your site, for example, www.example.com.
- Set up hosting for your website. This is where your website’s files will be stored and where your domain name will point to.
- Install WordPress on your hosting account. This is a simple process that only takes a few clicks, and you can have a fresh WordPress site up and running in minutes!
- Start customizing your site with plugins, themes, and other features.
This should help you get started easily with a small business website using WordPress.
Do I need to hire a designer for my business website?
Hiring a designer is NOT necessary. The right set of plugins like Starter Templates and Elementor, and a multipurpose WordPress theme like Astra can help you create a stunning website without a designer.
But as your brand grows and begins to gain traction, we recommend you spend more on the aesthetics of your website by hiring a professional designer.
Conclusion
A website is a lot like a digital business card but can be so much more. It is a way to show potential customers who you are, what you do, and why they should choose you over your competitors.
While there are many reasons why businesses need websites in 2024, the 10 reasons listed above are some of the most important.
Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, having an online presence is essential for staying competitive and reaching new customers.
So make sure you have a website up and running today to stay ahead of your competition!
