5 Reasons Why You Need A Goal Focused Website

At the time of writing this article, it’s mid-January 2023, and I am constantly amazed at the number of small businesses that do not have a website or do not see a need for one. I hope that with this blog post, I can change your mind.

The two reasons I hear most from small businesses for not having a website are as follows. One, they don’t understand why every business needs a website. They don’t grasp how a goal-focused website can make their life easier. This is usually because they had one or know someone who does, and it didn’t do much for them. Two, they’re on social media, and their business is doing fine.

These reasons are completely understandable but stem from a lack of understanding of what exactly a goal-focused website should be doing for them. As we dive into these “5 Reasons Why You Need A Goal Focused Website For Your Business,” I hope to address the reasons above and more.

So, let’s dive into the 5 reasons why you need a goal-focused website for your business…

1. Social Media Isn’t Enough

Social media isn’t enough. As mentioned above, one of the main reasons small business owners say they don’t want a website is because they’re active on social media, it’s free, and they feel it works for them. While social media is essential in today’s business world, it has its limitations. For social media to work, potential clients need to find you. Statistics show year after year that more and more consumers make their purchases online. But even more importantly, the internet is the first place consumers go before they buy.

A website increases brand recognition, credibility, and trust. However, a goal-focused website is so much more than that. Your site can make sales, answer questions, take messages, make appointments, to name a few. But most of all, you control the content you post on your website, and you control the messaging. Social media relies on algorithms, likes, shares, and comments.

When you post to social media, the people most likely to see your post are those online around the time you’ve made the post. And soon, that post falls further down the timeline to eventual obscurity. That doesn’t happen to the information on your website. It’s there 24/7, informing consumers, providing information, and if you’ve added e-commerce, it’s making sales. Social media isn’t enough; it’s necessary but doesn’t come close to offering what a goal-focused website can provide.

2. Showcase Your Work

Whether you’re an artist, author, contractor, or maker of fidget spinners, if you offer a product or service, you need a place to showcase your work. With a goal-focused website, showcasing your work is one of the priorities. Show customers exactly what you offer and allow them to buy or order it right on the spot. This enables two critical things important to any small business. One, it allows customers to make an informed decision and make a purchase. Two, it allows for those impulse buys. Enabling customers to click and buy now is a game-changer for any small business.

3. Outshine your competitors

Did you know that about 40% of small businesses do not have their own website? This is mind-boggling to me. However, just having a website does not guarantee success. Any designer, in fact, almost anyone, can build a website now. But most websites sit around like a paperweight, providing only the most basic information about the business. This is usually because they’ve hired a designer, maybe even a talented one, who built their business a beautiful website. But that’s all it is – more art than anything. It’s essentially just an online business card.

If you want to outshine your competitors, you need a designer who will listen to you. They should take the information you provide and convert it into a list of things your website needs, not just what you want. Because most of the time, I find what clients want is vastly different from what they actually need their website to do.

When your designer/consultant builds you a goal-focused website, it will convert. It will do the things you need it to do. This will help you, your business, and your customers, and most of all, your website will absolutely outshine your competitors.

4. Building Credibility and Customer Trust

We’ve touched on this a little in previous reasons, but let’s talk more specifically about it. In my experience, as someone who has been building sites since the late ’90s, a lot of small businesses see a website as nothing more than a fancy business card so that people on the internet can find them. But there’s more to it than that. I don’t want to downplay the importance of just having a website. Even a basic “business card” website is a good thing because, on a psychological level, that alone builds consumer trust and credibility.

A good web design makes a profoundly deep first impression with customers. So much so that a bad design is more likely to drive potential customers away than keep them on the site. A great web design is going to keep the client interested. The longer they’re there, the more credibility and customer trust is being built.

5. Stats Show Your Business Needs A Website

• About 20% of local searches convert to a sale within 24 hours.
• A business site with an active blog experiences, on average, 67% more sales opportunities.
• 69% of the U.S. shops online.
• Approximately 60% of consumers do their research via search engines.
• An estimated 95% of all purchases will be via e-commerce websites by the year 2040 (This is an astonishing number). Every year the number of online shoppers increases. Take advantage of this now. It goes back to building credibility, brand, and trust.
• Almost 40% of online consumers judge a business by how their websites appear.
• Strong branding can increase a website’s conversions by 33%.
• Almost two-thirds of online shoppers won’t recommend a company with a poor mobile design.

Understanding these reasons and incorporating them into your online presence will make a significant impact on your business. A goal-focused website isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for any small business looking to succeed in today’s digital world.