New year, new website
To a business, a fully functioning, optimised, responsive website, has never been more important.
You know this, it’s stating the obvious, but a business needs to be where its potential customers are. And across pretty much every sector, consumers and B2B buyers have flocked online during the pandemic to compare prices, find out more and make a purchase.
With the High Street and business premises hit by Covid-19 restrictions, this predictable shift online is well documented. HubSpot aggregated date from 70,000-plus companies and found a 40% increase in the monthly volume of website traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels.
According to Statista, online transactions increased by 26.7 percent in October compared to a comparable period before the outbreak.
It’s why, says the influential Content Marketing Institute (CMI), that marketers are looking to invest in their websites more than any other marketing activity bar new content. Of the 1,700-plus marketers interviewed by CMI in July, two-thirds (66%) said they were planning website enhancements.
There’s a consensus out there that a top-performing website that ranks high on Google, gives a great user journey and makes it easy for customers to purchase your products or services, is an absolute necessity in 2021.
So we know the background. Let’s explore in more detail the reasons for having a fully functioning, optimised, responsive website in 2021.
1 Your customers want it – yes, it’s that simple. A key part of marketing is placement, then you need to ‘place’ your goods and services on a website that is clear, informative and gives the people who really matter, what they want
2 Your competitors are doing it – don’t be the one that frustrates potential customers who are seeing a better online presence with your market rivals. Ideally your website will be ‘best in class’
3 You are open for business 24/7, 365 days of the year – never again will your customers have to wait for you to open. With a website that converts leads into business, you’re never closed and you’ll never miss an opportunity
4 You’re more responsive – People like a prompt reply. Well, with website automation, through plug-ins such as Mail Chimp or Salesforce, you can set up automated processes for customers, including thank yous and requests for reviews
5 You can provide social evidence – nine out of 10 consumers say the reviews of other customers influence their buying decisions. Having great write-ups on your website will convince others to purchase
6 You can be found easily by your potential customers – a great website with supercharged SEO (search engine optimisation) will see you pop up on the first page of Google when people type in the keywords for your products and services
7 You can refresh your brand – nothing says ‘we’re going places’ quite like a brilliant, beautifully designed website. It’s the first impression you make and the chance to look confident, professional and top of your game
8 You save money – yes, there are upfront costs for a cracking new website, but in the long run the returns on your investment are huge. Companies can spend thousands on creating and distributing marketing materials. With a first-class website experience, you have a beautiful shop window that you can adapt and update whenever you want
In summary, there’s a wealth of evidence to suggest that companies with the best websites will prosper in 2021. Covid-19 has had a major influence on marketers who are already budgeting for a refreshed online presence in 2021.
Consumers now expect brands to have a website that is easy to use with all the information they need to make a purchasing decision. And it’s those brands that rank high on search engines that will be at the front of queue.
A business case for a brilliant website
A new website is an investment, but it’s one that will pay dividends for all sorts of reasons. This is why we have created a business case to help you weigh up the costs and benefits of a new website.
Enter your details and download it for free here.
