Don’t get us wrong, a website is essential for your business. Even the simplest of one-pagers are often better than no website at all. But if your business is struggling, a new website alone may not be the answer to your problems.
While having an online presence is crucial in today’s digital age, it is just one piece of the puzzle in a comprehensive business strategy. We’ve put together some key reasons why a website won’t solve all your problems.
Lack of Visibility
Simply having a website does not guarantee that people will find it. The internet is vast. Without a digital marketing strategy, basic search engine optimisation (SEO), social media, and possibly some form of advertising or referral strategy, your website may stay invisible to potential customers.
Competition
Many businesses have websites, and chances are they’re in competitive markets. Your website may get lost among countless others. Standing out online requires a well-thought-out strategy that includes elements like unique content, branding, and user experience. This is why you should try and show some personality through your online presence; people are more likely to buy from you if they like the cut of your jib.
That being said, if you’re in a widely competitive industry you’ll need to adapt to set yourself apart from the competition. Look at your business processes, customer service, onboarding, retention strategies. Don’t think your website alone is going to be enough to set you apart.
Poor Content and Design
We speak about this a lot, but a poorly designed or outdated website with low-quality content can actually harm your business’s reputation. The customers of 2023 expect professional-looking or at least modern, simple websites with relevant and engaging content. If your website is a decade old with spelling and grammar mistakes, you’re not going to be making a good impression.
You may offer an incredible product, or be a master of your trade. But if you can’t articulate that to your customers you’re going to be in trouble.
Trust and Credibility
Building trust with customers is crucial for any business. If you don’t have any reviews or, worse yet, you have a whole load of bad reviews then it doesn’t matter what you do with your website or social media people are going to be put off right away. If you’ve made mistakes in the past it might be time for a rebrand; separate yourself from the past and start with a clean slate.
You might even be better off taking a step back from the digital world for a while. Rely on word of mouth and more traditional media for exposure. Rebuild your trust, get some reviews and testimonials under your belt before you give it another shot online.
Money
If your business is struggling, or you’re going through a longer than usual quiet period, building a new website IS NOT going to help with that in the short to medium term. Websites are investments for the future. Just like a marketing strategy they need time to settle and to start generating traffic. You’ll need to work at it, tweak it, update content, add value, and so much more.
As the weeks and months go by though, if you’ve played your cards right then you’ll start to see increases in visitors, longer page views, social media follows, and even contact form enquiries.
Dropping your hard earned cash hoping that a website will earn you the big bucks inside of a few weeks is a costly mistake to make.
Summary
So, to summarise, while a website can be a hugely valuable asset for modern businesses, it should be part of a broader strategy that includes effective marketing, customer engagement, and alignment with your business goals. Relying solely on a website without addressing other aspects of your business’s processes and problems may not be enough to turn a struggling business around.
If you’re wondering if a new website is right for you, drop us a message and take us up on our free advice. There’s no strings attached (check our reviews if you don’t want to take our word for it), we’d love to hear from you.