Have you ever left something behind? Maybe you left your phone at home (though probably not for very long). Maybe you left a tablet, or even your laptop, in the back seat pocket on an airplane. Doubly guilty. But have you ever left behind a critical part of your business? Like your website perhaps?
Think about this: have you ever seen a really amazing service with a really terrible website? The chances that you hired them is very unlikely. In fact, 75% of consumers admit to making judgements on a company’s credibility based on the company’s website design. Yes, web design. This isn’t 2001 where people will just be impressed you have a website. Welcome to 2020. This next decade, your business will be left behind if you aren’t on top of your online storefront. In all honesty, the clients you have now, will very likely forget about you completely if your web presence is unremarkable.
Are you currently wondering if social media counts as “web presence” for your businesses success in 2020? Yes…and no. If your Facebook page is a ghost town, they will forgive you and tell themselves you have too much business to worry about your company’s Facebook profile. If your Instagram does not have one professional image on any of your squares, they won’t blink an eye, “Instagram is just for Influencers, anyway,” they will say. “It’s not for real businesses.” But that’s where they will end with giving you a pass for an incomplete web presence.
If your potential clients happen to tap your link on Instagram or click your URL on Facebook to find out more – what will they find there?
What if a potential client gets a text from a friend recommending your business? They hop out of their messages to surf their mobile browser for your website. Do they find a well designed, mobile-ready online storefront they want to do business with? It better be good, and it better be attention grabbing the very second they click on your URL. Why? Studies show that potential customers will decide to stay on your site or jump ship, within the span of 5 seconds. Is your mobile site that good?
It’s general knowledge in our world that 57% of internet users say they won’t even recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile. Mobile. You are going to lose over half of your business if your website is not mobile-ready. And guess what? 60% of small businesses still do not have a mobile-friendly site! In other words, if your website looks the same on a desktop as it does on a phone, it is not mobile-ready. The mobile visitor to your site should not have to pinch a picture bigger, or turn their phone to the side to read the font, or even scroll to understand what you can do for them. Make it simple, make it clear, make a functioning mobile site so you don’t lose most of your potential referrals.
Friends, we aren’t beating around the bush. You need to have your mobile site up and running tomorrow! You can get started today ! The conversion is greatly in your favor. Want the numbers? 88% of consumers who search for a type of business on a mobile device call or go with that business within 24 hours. Where else are you going to get those results? Even paid ads will not come close to the return you will get on your own mobile-ready site.
Your website is your online storefront which, in 2020, is most likely your first chance to make a first impression. This is the store window of your company. This is your potential client’s first welcome into your business. When you get this right, you reduce friction and make it easier for your ideal clients to find you and book your services.
Whether you are a start-up, a photographer, a business coach, an interior decorator, or anything in between – you have competition, and you need a way to stand out from the crowd. Let your website do the talking for you, even before you meet your client for the first time. If you are feeling convicted that you have forgotten about your website for too long, let Showit help you to make a beautiful, on-brand website. And trust us, it will look great on mobile, as well as desktop.
Make that 57% of judgmental website visitors recommend your business without thinking twice.
Face it, everyone is occasionally forgetful. Forgetting a device may cost you a few dollars to replace. But forgetting to pay attention to your online presence is neglecting a key element of your business Losing customers because they are having a negative experience with your website will cost you, potential clients, not to mention thousands of dollars in business. You cannot afford to forget about your online storefront any longer. Your website is the key to running a successful business in 2020.
This blog was written and provided by ShowIt, a generous sponsor of PHX Startup Week 2020.