14 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need a Website

If you are a small business owner, websites are a must.

Why You Need A Website

In the last few years, there has been an active push for consumers to “shop local” and support small businesses, and that is largely made possible through the internet. Being able to have an online storefront and market to customers outside of your geographic area is a huge opportunity for many entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. For all of these reasons, it is important that every small business have a website.

Having a strong online presence can truly be a make or break for any business. In this article we are going to break down why every small business needs a website and how to go about getting one that suits your business. We also have quotes from several small business leaders on how important having a website is to them and what opportunities it has created for their organizations. Keep reading to learn how a website can take your business to the next level! 

1. It's the Digital Real Estate For Your Business

The website is the gateway, door, and welcome mat of a business. It should educate the consumer as well as elicit emotion. It is the very first impression that will be made on the consumer and can determine with certainty whether or not the consumer will continue engagement.
- Michael Herion, Carrot Eye Center

2. It Shows You Actually Exists

A website is your small businesses digital real estate

A small business needs a website to drive business in today’s digital world. Without a website, you give up much, if not most, of your potential business because consumers will not be able to learn anything about you or your business’s offerings. If not for anything else, a website will show your audience that you really do exist.
- Court Will, Will & Will

3. It Shows Potential Clients If Your Business Is the Right Fit

A small business needs to have a platform that accurately represents who they are and why people should buy their products or use their services. When potential customers are searching for a product or service, you want your website available for them to click on. You want them to see a clean functional website that makes you feel like your business is the right choice for them. A website represents your brand in the digital space and without it, it would be difficult to have a strong online brand presence. 
- Rex Murphy, Montauk Services

4. People Need to Find You on Google 

In today’s digital world, people turn to Google to find practically anything and everything. From answers to questions to products and services near them. Search engines play an important role in the online success of businesses. Without a website, potential customers will be unable to find you in their searches. Creating a central location to store your address, your phone number, a contact form, a products/ service list, prices, etc. will open the door for people to find your business online. 
- Kayla Centeno, Markitors

5. Increase in Business Credibility

Having a website increases your business credibility. In our digital age, not having a website for your business is grounds for suspicion and you will not be able to convert as many sales as you would if you had a more stable digital presence. Customers will seek you out online and having a website is one of the criteria for determining trustworthiness.
- Liz Riggleman, Arrowlift 

6. It Allows You to Compete

Every business should have a website for the same reason you plant a seed. Getting a website is the first step toward putting your business in an environment where it can thrive. It allows you to promote your product, build credibility, distinguish yourself, and quite frankly - compete. If you’re not on the internet these days, you’re not being competitive and you will miss out on opportunities, even from loyal customers. If your customers can’t find you, they will find someone else.
- Sydney Stern Miller, Tech Talent South

In 2023, websites are simply necessities for small businesses

7. It Helps You Gain a Competitive Advantage

The Verisign report shows that 93 percent of U.S. consumers use the Internet for research before making a purchase. We know this number just continues to rise. Let’s be honest, are you still using the phone book to find local businesses? Consumers want to be informed about their purchasing decisions— what they buy and from whom they buy. Without a website, you risk losing customers to businesses already taking advantage of the online marketplace. If you’re in direct competition with another business that has a website, your competitor has a clear advantage—especially if they are effectively marketing their website. A website can help level the playing field.

Eighty-four percent of U.S. small businesses surveyed by Verisign said their website is important or critical to their business. More than half of U.S.-based small businesses don’t have a website, so there is no time like the present to establish your business website and get ahead of the competition.

8. It Expands Your Physical Location

Websites are one of the best investments in serendipity you can make. Here's what I mean: when you operate from a single location, your presence tends to be restricted to where you are. With a website, you might reach people in other countries or on the other side of the world. Some of these people may become customers, investors, or suppliers; and they never would have found you if you didn't have a website.
- Tasia Duske, Museum Hack

9. It Is a Reflection of the Service You Will Provide

A small business should utilize a website in order to effectively reach its client base and be able to react and communicate timely and effectively to its current and prospective clients. Moreover, today's consumers utilize websites not only to identify businesses with which to conduct a transaction but also to gauge the trustworthiness or 'fitness' of that small business. An inadequate or 'out of date' website may convey laziness or inattention to detail to today's consumer - traits that are extremely unattractive and lead the prospective client to 'swipe left'.
- Robert Rutila, Blythe Grace

10. It's Your Digital Brochure

At its basic core, a website replaces a brochure. It is informational in nature, offering people insights into who you are, why you are different, and what you provide or sell. At its best, a website can build community, connection, and loyalty when content is kept fresh and engaging. With the majority of people searching via mobile devices, websites must be mobile optimized.
- Lorraine Bossé-Smith, Leadership Development Coach

11. Your Own Domain Name Increases Credibility

Every small business type needs a website and online presence

Having a website gives your small business legitimacy. When someone is searching for your product or service online, you want to appear in those search results. Additionally, having your own domain name (company.com) gives your email address additional legitimacy — if you're sending an email from a personal email, potential customers may not take you as seriously.

Additionally, every small business needs a website and social media as well. I advise the entrepreneurs I work with to focus on their "core 4" social media channels: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Once you have launched your website, you can cross-promote it by sharing it on social media as well.
- Lauren Patrick, Curricula

12. It’s Free Advertising

Having a professional website will mean that people who are looking for you can find you and get the information they need. But if you optimize your website well, it can also mean you'll show up in search results for people who didn't even know they were looking for you.

Create pages that talk about the services you offer and where you offer them. Or publish pages that describe your products or explain how to solve problems you commonly solve. You can go from being an invisible plumber in Cleveland, for example, to a plumber in Cleveland who shows up whenever someone nearby searches for how to unclog a drain.
- Elliot Brown, OnPay

13. It's Crucial During a Pandemic

During the pandemic, it may be the only way that potential customers will find you. Beyond that, customers love the convenience of shopping from home. Businesses without a web presence will miss out on these customers. They also may be considered out of date or not "with it" by those who have grown up on the internet.
- Colleen McManus, Senior Consultant

14. It Grows Your Business

Many small businesses aim to expand in the market and reach out to new customers. While face-to-face interactions can be important and business often comes from word-of-mouth, a website gives you a chance to “pass your card out” to thousands online. With an e-commerce store, you can sell items online and ship the product to customers almost anywhere in the world. You might discover that customers in a neighboring city or state are interested in your services, leading to a larger service area, and maybe even an expansion to regional offices. In fact, 81 percent of U.S. small businesses say that a website has helped to grow their business. With a website, you can reach a greater number of potential customers and opportunities.

Did you know that only 51% of small businesses have websites?

The Bottom Line

Having a website and online presence is important for small businesses for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a website allows small businesses to reach a wider audience and potentially attract more customers. In today's digital age, many people use the internet to search for products and services, and having a website makes it easier for these potential customers to find and learn about a small business.

A website can also serve as an online storefront, allowing small businesses to sell their products and services directly to customers. This can be especially useful for businesses that operate primarily online or have a limited physical presence.

In addition to attracting customers, a website can also help small businesses establish credibility and build trust with potential customers. Having a professional-looking website can give the impression that a small business is legitimate and trustworthy, which can be important for building customer loyalty.

Overall, having a website and online presence can be a valuable tool for small businesses, allowing them to reach more customers, sell their products and services, and establish credibility in the marketplace.

If you are just starting a small business and need a website, we offer FREE website design. Yep, you read that correctly. We design all of our client websites for FREE. Additionally, we ONLY work with small businesses because we are a small business! We know how much it can cost to get a small business off the ground and we want to help our fellow small business owners succeed! Connect with us and we’ll help you build and maintain a beautiful website!