Once upon a time, customers physically went to a physical location to decide whether or not they wanted to partner with that business. But today, there are about three billion Internet users, and nearly all of them go to Google or another search engine to obtain information about the services or products that they want or need to buy.
The marketing aspect is just the beginning, because an attractive and user-friendly site with lots of features is the best way to connect with your customers, and that connection even occurs on a lasting emotional level, so the ties you forge through your website are indeed long-lasting ones.
Cost Predictability
Website design and hosting, especially from a highly-skilled website builder, offers very predictable costs that are very easy to place in a budget. Brick-and-mortar stores or offices, on the other hand, generally come with unpredictable costs, such as odd spikes in utility bills and the risk of accidental losses due to natural and manmade disasters.
Accessibility
Almost all offices or stores open and close at certain hours, may or may not be readily accessible for handicapped persons, and sometimes change locations. If a customer travels to such a location only to find it inaccessible for whatever reason, that customer is highly unlikely to return.
An attractive website has none of these problems, as almost anyone can access and use the site 24/7/365.
Credibility
Online users tend to share very good and very bad experiences, either on the company’s website or on social media. Therefore, conducting business online is a good way to increase your business’ credibility, because 88 percent of customers rely on internet reviews either just as much, or even more, than reviews from friends.
Improved Sales
The accessibility and credibility means increased sales, because people can reach you at any time and from any place. Mobile browsers now exceed the number of desktop browsers. Moreover, these people have normally done their research before they conduct business on your site, so when they arrive, they often have their credit cards in hand.
Connect with Customers
Many customers or clients have basically the same questions. A blog post is a good way to provide this information without tying up your time speaking on the phone and having the same conversation with multiple people. Video content on the site, or at least a link to a YouTube video, is even better, because some users find video more accessible than text.
Attractiveness is especially important on blog pages, because long text blocks or clumsy video links turn people off.
Design Matters
Over 90 percent of users say they form their first impression about a business based on its website design, and a similar percentage said that they mistrusted a poorly-designed website. So, a less-than-stunning website creates more risk than you should be willing to accept, and a well-designed one gives you a stunning return on your investment.
A good website builder can bring design and hosting aspects together to give your customers a positive online experience that they will want to repeat.
