Why Every Business Needs a Website in 2023
In 2023, businesses of every industry, sector, and purpose are feeling the whiplash of a decade’s worth of digitizing trends accelerated condensed into two years of crisis-mode adaptations to the pandemic. Those that still haven’t built a website or a strong digital presence are now finding it especially difficult to connect and engage with their target market.
Some organizations avoided creating websites due to a high initial cost, lack of technical knowledge, or because they simply believed they didn’t need one, as they were getting enough revenue even without a website.
But in recent years, with so many companies forced to work remotely and people forced to stay indoors, internet usage has spiked drastically, and it’s become even more obvious that traditional marketing and branding are taking a backseat. As a result, websites have become one of the most important and influential digital marketing tools for businesses of all sizes.
Let’s take a look at the most common reasons why every business needs a website in 2023 and how far you can get with a Facebook Page:
The primary marketing functions of a website:
1. Build brand identity
2. Establish business credibility
3. Increase organic traffic
4. Promote positive ROI
5. Educate your audience
1. Build brand identity
A strong brand identity is crucial for any business that wants to succeed. There are many factors that go into forming a positive brand identity, and having an official business website is one of the most effective methods to do it.
While some small businesses rely solely on their Facebook Page as their “website” and main online representation, nothing tops an actual website that exists beyond social media.
The website will help you clearly establish who you are, what you stand for, and what you represent, thus giving you an opportunity to stand out among your competitors and increasing the chances of your prospects buying from you.
2. Establish business credibility
One of the most significant reasons to have a website built for your business is to help establish its credibility. Up to 81% of consumers will conduct internet research before purchasing a product or service from a company. And if they don’t find an official website that demonstrates your expertise and provides in-depth information about your products and services, they may question your legitimacy as a business.
What’s more, many businesses have been reviewed online, oftentimes unknowingly and/or negatively. How would this affect your business?
A survey found that 79% of consumers claim they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from family and friends, while almost all respondents (94%) adding that positive reviews make them more likely to be using a business. Having a website will help to combat that negativity by providing your own positive testimonials.
3. Increase organic traffic
Improving your organic search (i.e., unpaid) traffic should be among the top marketing priorities for any business to pursue. Organic search traffic is known to be more cost effective when compared to paid traffic, and it’s also an important source of qualified leads or potential customers.
Having a website is one of the easiest ways to increase your organic traffic and expand your customer base. When your potential clients arrive at your website via organic search, you can be assured that they will stick around, because they’re already interested in your business or what it has to offer.
On top of that, websites also provide your contact information, making it way easier for your customers to contact you and, thus, presenting you with the opportunity to boost sales and overall return on investment (ROI).
4. Promote positive ROI
Your ROI, whether you’re measuring profitability or social/environmental impact, can drastically improve with a website. So long as it’s search engine optimized and can be found through search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing, it is accessible to hundreds of millions of prospective visitors.
No matter how big or small your business is or whether it’s local or worldwide, having a website will broaden your target audience reach and bring in potential clients you may not have obtained otherwise. And with the increased online traffic comes the possibility of acquiring more leads, resulting in higher ROI.
A website can also serve as an effective fundraising tool, allowing you to generate funds from a bigger audience, thus becoming a cornerstone of your fundraising initiatives. It can greatly improve your chances of attracting donors by providing them with an easy way to get in contact with your organization, as well as allowing them to monitor where their financial contributions are going and how they are being spent.
5. Educate your audience
One of the most rewarding aspects of a great website is that it can help you communicate valuable information about your organization in a clear and effective manner.
There, you’ll be able to provide information such as your mission statement, vision, and community impact, among other things. You can also utilize your blog to keep people up to date on your current projects and to tell stories about how you help others, or blog about current events and news.
Having a website is a perfect opportunity to let your supporters know why your organization matters and how they can help by volunteering or making a donation.
Website vs. Facebook Page
Many small or new businesses still often opt for creating a designated Facebook Page rather than investing in building a professional corporate website.
To some degree, it makes perfect sense since it requires way less upfront investment as well as time and effort to create. Despite its recent downturn, Facebook continues to record the most monthly active users of any platform. The consistent user experience also means that potential customers and clients tend to know where to find important information, like the business’s description, operating hours, address, contact information, etc.
Social media channels also help to implement various marketing activities to further enhance engagement and awareness through communication with users. And since this is the most popular medium for gathering business information in Thailand, it has proven itself effective even for large B2B companies.
Useful Facebook Page Features
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If you’re comfortable working within the limitations of the user interface and occasionally troubleshooting with their customer support over automated bans, Facebook can absolutely serve as a great tool to help you optimize your digital outreach, especially if you’re a new business.
Here’s the catch: what if Google decides that your target audience isn’t looking for a Facebook Page?
Depending on the keywords that your target audience is searching for, the Google algorithm might decide that they’re looking for blog websites, e-commerce websites, product pages, or landing pages. That means you could be missing out on free organic traffic from users who are actively searching for your product, service, or solution.
If you want to have more control over your content, branding, and traffic, it would be wise to invest in a professional website. You should definitely utilize Facebook as part of your online strategy, but it shouldn’t be your only tool.
Key Takeaways
The pandemic may have supercharged the shift to digital, but even as the crisis abates, audience expectations have not. It’s become almost impossible to avoid building a website if you want to build an online presence that is positive, distinct, and engaging.
While many functions of a website have been replicated successfully by Facebook Pages, it’s wise to use Facebook as only part of your business’s online presence—not all of it. When properly optimized for search engines, websites are still the best long-term solution for a number of digital marketing roles.
Once you understand what goals your website serves, you can build every element around those goals and set a clear direction for website development and performance.
