The importance of a web page that gives information about your brand cannot be overemphasized, and so if you have a business and you don’t have a website, you are doing something wrong and missing out on great opportunities. Some key reasons why you must consider getting a website are:
1. Having a website and an active online presence allows you to market your business more effectively on the internet, thereby resulting in sales.
2. Being more visible to the world means you are more likely to gain new costumers.
3. Having a website provides no restriction to your business as potential clients can assess your website at any time and from anywhere and get the valuable information they desire.
4. Web presence enhances your professional credibility and gives your costumers reasons to trust you plus it doesn’t cost so much to own a website.
As important as having a website is, I must encourage you that if you would build one for your brand ensure that it is professional and has the valuable information the public needs.
Below are the basic and most important questions your website must answer if it is to be considered professional.
- What do you do (services)?:
The most important information your website should carry is what do you do. What services are you offering or what products are you selling? Your costumers want to know what they stand to benefit from you. They want to know what they are going to be paying for.
It is important to list your core values, mission and vision statements et al, but a website that can do not tell visitors what it is that you can do for them is trash. Ensure that your services are visibly listed and can be easily understood (not everyone would call for further inquiries so ensure you pass out clear cut information).
2. What have you done before (Portfolio)?: Potential Costumers want to know for a fact that you can do what you say you can do and your portfolio page should answer this question. The portfolio page is where you put details (pictures, videos, links et al) of previous work or deals you completed successfully.
Having a portfolio page sets you apart from your competitors as potential clients do not need to call you first, to ask for your previous works because it is already available to them on your website. People give money to only trusted authorities.
3. Who can vouch for you (Testimonials)? Having a portfolio page that showcases what you have done before is not enough. Get some of your clients to write testimonials about your brand and your services. These testimonials connect with the emotional side of your potential and old clients.
It tells them that you are not only good at what you do but you know how to maximize relationships and connect to your target market. And of cause, it proves you have great customer service (For instance, even though you did a good job, treating you clients with disrespect would deter them from writing you a testimonial…true or true?).
4. What do you know about what you are selling (Blog or Vlog): People want to know that you have extensive theoretical as well as practical knowledge about what you say you can do or what you are selling? A good way to fulfill this need is to have a blog page where you put up valuable and authentic content that entertains and or informs your target market about your brand niche.
Blogging helps to build your reputation and credibility, enhances your brand awareness and gets your costumers to trust you. For instance? Who would you rather why clothes from? The brand that enlightens you about the do and dont’s of the fashion industry or the one that just throws its services at you?
5. How can you be contacted? After the answering the question of what you can do for your target market, the next most important is how you can be contacted. No matter how professional and credible your website looks, if your contact information (Office Address, Email Address and Phone Number) cannot be found on your website, you would hardly ever get sales.
Bonus:
- Who makes up your organization? You can go a step further and put up the pictures and or profiles of your core team members. Doing this gives your brand a face (or rather faces) and this helps your costumers to connect to your brand more. Ensure, though, that your team members are photogenic and are smiling in the pictures you use (lol, just kidding…. No! I’m serious).
Written by: Peace Itimi