5 Reasons Why You Need a Professional Website in 2023

In the digital age, business owners must take advantage of a vast digital toolkit to draw in customers, employees, connect with their communities, and stand a chance in today’s competitive economy. But with so many options —including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Yelp, and old-fashioned methods of spreading the word such as through fliers and word of mouth— it can be hard to figure out where to begin. 

If you’re a small business owner with a small workforce and you don’t sell anything online, is a Google Business Profile good enough? Do you even need a website?

The short answer: we believe that all businesses should have a website. 

That is to say, the days of Yellow Pages are over. If your business doesn’t have a website, the truth is that you’re already losing customers to your competition. 

In 2023, a website is the single most important tool for growing your business. Here’s why: 

1. A website helps you establish credibility

Making your business seem trustworthy begins with a well-designed website. 

Just how important is it to have a high-quality website? A survey conducted by Vistaprint revealed that 42% of consumers said they were “very unlikely” to make a purchase from a website they viewed as ugly or unprofessional. If your website was last updated in 2005, it’s probably time for a refresh. 

A professional website serves as your business’s primary outward-facing online presence. By giving curious Internet browsers one central location to learn about your products and services, find business hours, addresses, contact information, and even make purchases or appointments, websites have the potential to turn complete strangers into loyal customers. 

2. Great websites make great first impressions

When you want to leave a great first impression, you dress to impress. Same deal for a website; make it pop by dressing it up in high-quality copy and professional, clean design.

Mobile-friendly design, fast loading times, accessibility features, consistent branding, and easy navigation will inspire confidence in those browsing your site, showing that you truly care about your customers’ experiences. Plus, to enhance your business website’s wow factor, you can display featured customer reviews, show off pictures of your work, awards you’ve won, your certifications, licenses, and more — your website acts as your business card, portfolio, and elevator pitch all at once. 

3. Websites help you get discovered

Only the strongest brands survive on today’s digital frontier. Don’t get left in the dust.

A website allows small businesses to reach a much wider audience beyond what they might find in their immediate surrounding area. In fact, more than half of the world's population will regularly use the internet in 2023, and that number is constantly growing. 

Here are some more stats: 

• 46% of searches on Google include local intent (such as “food near me”, “best hotels nearby”)
• 97% of users use search to find local businesses
• 28% of users purchased an item after a local search
• 70% of users will visit a store because of what they found online

Businesses can further enhance their discoverability by utilizing search engine optimized (SEO) content, which can help a website rank higher in search results. This strategy works by researching how customers typically search for businesses like yours and then using those keywords to maximize visibility.

4. Your website, your style

Social media account profiles tend to be incredibly limited in customization. Without the ability to flaunt your signature branding, it’s difficult to stick out from the crowd when every business account looks more or less the same 

This is where websites shine: your website can include as much or as little as you want. You hold the steering wheel; you pick the colors, you choose the pictures, and you decide how you want your business conveyed. Want to keep things strictly informational? Add a blog or an About Us page to introduce your team. Want to foster your own community? Encourage interaction with your brand by providing a forum or social media feed.

Plus, editing your website is easy with a Content Management System (CMS)! With a CMS, business owners don’t need knowledge of HTML or programming languages to make changes to their websites. Instead, they can use a simple and intuitive interface to add, edit, and delete text, images, and other multimedia content in seconds.

5. Websites improve your capability for customer service

How many times a week do you get calls from people asking the same few questions? 

By including a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on your website, you can help your customers find the information they need quickly and easily without clogging up your phone lines. You can also provide automated service by incorporating the use of forms, scheduling, and appointment booking features, which reduce the workload on your customer service representatives.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Is your website living in the past? Does it need an update? Let’s work together to build a better website.

When you choose Anntoine Marketing + Design, our dedicated web developers, designers, and writers work tirelessly to craft beautiful platforms that meet all accessibility standards and leave a mark on your audience. Schedule a meeting with us today to discuss how we can bring your brand’s website to the next level.