Recent research has just found that only 35 percent of businesses in Australia have a website. More specifically, businesses that have been established for more than 10 years are less likely to have a website (25%) than maturing (32%) or new (36%) businesses.
In today’s digital age, all businesses (regardless of how long they’ve been around!) should have a website if they hope to survive in the future. To remain visible in the marketplace, it’s just crazy not to have one. Don’t risk it; 30 percent of businesses with a website reported an increase in revenue in the past 12 months, compared to only 23 percent of businesses that did not. This trend is surely going to continue, and businesses without an online presence are guaranteed to lose popularity over time.
The Rise of the Smartphone Search
It has been revealed that the businesses least likely to have a website are Construction and Trades (23%). In the past, these industries have traditionally advertised in newspaper classifieds and hard copy directories, such as the Yellow Pages. However, what they’re forgetting to notice is the enormous uptake of people who now search for information on their phones.
With the rise of the smartphone technology, people don’t bother to look in big yellow books anymore. 43 percent of the Australian population owns internet-enabled phones, and people now tend to search online for what they need, whether they’re at home or while they’re on the go. (Read more about mobile-friendly websites on the Digital Pacific Blog.)
For this reason, businesses should no longer rely on newspaper classifieds and directories as their sole source of customer acquisition. The only way to jump on the bandwagon and expand your business in the future is to create a website that is of good design, good copy, and most importantly, easy to find on Google.
Goodbye Classifieds and Directories!
There are many directories on the internet that can help customers find your business online. These include not only the Yellow Pages online, but also sites such as True Local or dLook.
Although it’s true that listing your business on an online directory can help, it’s important to realise that it is still not as effective as having a website. You should prioritise launching a website first, and then list your business on these other online directories second.
Doing this will improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and increase your business’ visibility on Google. Better yet, if people stumble across your listing on an online directory, they can see the link to your website and redirect themselves there to find out more.
The best part about this is that the more information that customers can find about you, the more power you have to turn them into a successful sale. Don’t forget that the way you present your website plays an important part in determining your conversion rate. It reflects your business, your professionalism, and will more often than not influence whether a customer likes you or not.
Designing Your First Website
Needless to say, setting up your business’ first website can be a very daunting prospect, especially if you’re not terribly technologically savvy.
A huge myth that we need to debunk is that when you launch your site, it has to be complex, flashy, whizz-bang and the whole package. This is not true. In most cases, it’s better to have a small, simple, professional website, than not have one at all.
To get started, here are some ideas that will help you create your first website — without having to attend computer school, and without breaking the bank. So get cracking… If you don’t follow this shift in modern buyer behaviour, your business will miss out!
Sitebuilder
A good way to start out is to use a program called Sitebuilder. Sitebuilder is an easy to use website builder that doesn’t require any technical knowledge at all. It has a five-step wizard process that conveniently talks you through every step of the way, allowing you to create, modify and update your own website independently. Best of all, Digital Pacific offers the program with a 14 Day Free Trial, so you can test it out for yourself and see if it’s right for you.
Blog sites
If your business has a lot of news to tell, why don’t you set up a blog-type site? Digital Pacific can help set one up for you, taking the stress out of setting one up yourself. It also gives you the opportunity to customise your blog site’s appearance and format to suit your business. Digital Pacific’s simple control panel system, Cpanel, comes with the application Fantastico De Luxe that allows you to easily install a WordPress blog.
Simple websites
Most websites have different sections usually comprising of a ‘home’ page, ‘about us’ page, ‘products’ or ‘services’ page, and a ‘contact’ page. Although these sites have basic configuration, be aware that creating them and making them look good still takes a lot of time and effort.
Another popular way to build a website is to install a free Content Management System (CMS) or shopping cart. There are many great systems out there that can get your website up and running.
You can find more information on CMS Systems and shopping carts at the free applications section on our website. It will help guide you through exactly what you need to get started. Alternatively, for a small fee, Digital Pacific can install any of our listed applications for you (check out more details on installation and support services).
Making Your Website Live
Launching a website involves more than just website design. To make it live, you also need a domain name and a web host. Digital Pacific can provide web hosting and organise a domain name for you, fast-tracking the launch of your site onto the World Wide Web.
In addition, Digital Pacific can guide you through the FTP processes required for your site. If you’d like to find out more about this, you can check out the video tutorials featured on the Digital Pacific website.
So what are you waiting for? Invest in your business’ future and set up your first website today.
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