A Shop Window to the World

By JULIE GREGORY

It does not matter how large or small a business is, it needs a website. A website is the business’s opportunity to promote its products or services in the way it wants to present itself; to share information and even sell its products online. A website is the perfect tool to establish the credibility of, and gain trust for, the business.

As with social media, some businesses are filled with trepidation knowing that they need to have a website but not knowing where to start – or how much it will cost. Free platforms such as Go Daddy, Wix, SquareSpace etc, can be a simple solution to get a small, or start up business online quickly and cheaply using pre-prepared templates for pages and layouts. But they are limited in terms of functionality, ie. how many pages a site can have.

Creating a website can be fun as it allows the business to create its own worldwide shopfront! It is the chance for a business to tell everybody about the people involved in the business – where their experience lies, what they do and how they do it (hence, establishing credibility and building trust).

Visiting a website is the first step most people take when looking for a specific product or service, whether that be within their local area if applicable, or further afield if shopping online and geography is not as critical.

That all important first impression becomes even more relevant if the business is competing in the larger arena such as nationally or internationally where a brand really does have to work hard to stand out from its competition.

More people than ever are used to visiting websites to research their subject. That could be anything from keeping up with the latest breaking news to choosing a new bathroom. In fact, more than 80% of the UK population buy at least some purchases online. However, we haven’t stopped visiting shops yet, with 88% of us researching a product online before heading to the shop to actually make the purchase.

Ultimately, every business should promote itself online and the first step is to make sure its website promotes the brand in the right way, in an ever increasing competitive world.