Are Websites Still Relevant?

By: Team WTI | Date: June 24, 2019

Categories: Digital Marketing, E-Marketing, eCommerce, Internet Marketing, Local SEO, Mobile Friendly, Online Reputation Management, PPC Essentials, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Management, Web Development, Web Maintenance, Website Design Articles,

Tags: Advertising, Digital Marketing, Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Website Design Articles, Websites,

The world of media is changing quickly, newspapers are slowing down, people are cutting the cord on cable and listening to streaming instead of the radio. It seems as if it is getting harder and harder to get your advertising and message out to people.

An effective website can reach many more potential customers than other forms of media. The ROI of a website is much greater than other methods of advertising. You don’t have to buy airtime, ads in a paper, or billboards and your internet advertising can target exactly the people you want.

The Online World Continues to Grow

It seems today that everyone is online, but what are they doing while they are on their phones, tablets, and computers? Social media is important, but many businesses make the mistake of putting all their efforts into one place or platform.

Many business owners think that Facebook is the only place they need to be present. This isn’t the case (and, honestly, never has been).

Pew Research states that a quarter of Facebook users in the United States have deleted their app and Edison Research claims that Facebook has lost 15 million users since 2017. As internet usage increases, Facebook’s numbers are beginning to drop. That’s not to say that Facebook isn’t a valuable place to advertise, they still have around 214 million users in the United States, so they shouldn’t be ignored at all.

There are so many places that people can get their information online, you have to put your message everywhere. Our Digital Marketing team uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms to spread your advertising. You must use as many social media platforms as you can that are relevant to your demographic and business.

Websites are the Bedrock

However, if you don’t have a website as your “headquarters”, so to speak, you may be wasting your money. Not everyone uses every social media application, so you must have a main site that people can find. A business website is a foundation that all of your social media should be built on.

Your website is the core of your advertising campaigns. You can advertise your company through traditional methods of advertising, social media, pay-per-click, and other forms, but your website allows a central location that customers can visit to get more information, make an appointment, or buy a product.

When people use a search engine, like Google, to find information, it is more likely they will access your website. Each of the social media platforms has a specific thing they do well, but a website can do them all. Facebook is great at being able to share information with others, Twitter seems to be the more serious form of social media at times, Pinterest allows you to share ideas, and Instagram is all about images.

A good website that uses SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactics gives you a place where you can provide quick pieces of information like business hours, telephone numbers, and what products or services are offered. Blogs allow you to provide long-form articles about your company and services. Your site should include images on every page, along with galleries that users can view. If you have social media accounts, links to those accounts should be in your site’s header, footer, or both. The social media accounts can be used to cross-promote your site, getting more for your advertising dollar.

Good Websites Do It All

An effective website that is designed by a company that is interested in your success, like WTI, can provide everything a potential customer will need. The user will be able to easily navigate the site to find the information they need. Whether they are accessing the site on a desktop computer, a tablet, or their phone, the site should provide them with a good experience.

A site not only needs to look good, but it needs to load quickly and provide the important information right away. If a user wants more details, they should be able to easily find the menu and get to the pages or posts that interest them without much effort on their part.

Besides, a website provides your company with another level of credibility. A website allows you to tell customers about yourself, provide testimonials, and show reasons why people should trust your company. More and more people are relying on research like reviews, testimonials, and product details before they make a purchase.

So many businesses have websites that NOT having one can be a liability. People may wonder if a company is serious about their business or if they are a fly-by-night organization. It will be tougher for this type of company to overcome having a reputation as being small-time or sketchy.

You can be located anywhere and still have a large reach, bound only by your service areas. Your business may be a small office located in a rural area, but you can advertise to every corner of the world. With good SEO, your small business could rank right up with multinational businesses, depending on what you’re offering. The internet can level the playing field more than any other method of advertising.

Websites are Open 24/7/365

People use the internet at all times of the day. They may be night owls, third shift workers, located in different time zones, or a hundred other reasons. Just because your business isn’t physically open, doesn’t mean that people can’t access your website when it’s convenient for them.

No matter where they are, what day of the week it is, or what time of day it is, users can go to your website and get information, contact you, or make purchases. You’re able to bring your business to them, making it as easy as possible to be a customer.

Online Marketing Strategies

There are many different marketing strategies out there and there are just as many variables that go into deciding which is best for your business. Our Digital Marketing team is experienced and trained in the different methods and customize a plan that fits your website, service, and/or product. If you’re interested in growing your business, contact us and let us help you form an effective marketing plan.

Every Business Needs a Website

No matter what the product or service is, every business needs to have a professional website. A good website isn’t something that most people can do themselves through DIY programs. It takes time to build the site correctly and to optimize it for search engines. There are constant changes that come from Bing and Google that need to be addressed as soon as they happen. Many things that are important to search engines occur behind the scenes in the code. A site may look great, but if no one can find it, it is going to be pretty useless.

Everyone at WTI takes pride in every website they work on and will do all they can to make them as successful as possible. From the initial meeting when we figure out what you want your site to look like and other details to the ongoing SEO and Digital Marketing work that occurs, WTI makes sure that you are happy with the results.

Contact us today to learn more about how a website can help your business. If you already have a website, we can work with it to make it even better. We want you to love your website and we can show you how!