Even though a website is a necessity for businesses, most people do not quite understand its importance to the success of a business. Personally, I have been observing that many businesses in today’s world have websites, likewise many others do not.

Here are some stats & facts

Digital population statistics worldwide as of April 2018 as per We Are Social

• Active Internet Users: 4087 million.
• Unique Mobile Internet Users: 3827 million.
• Active Social Media Users: 3297 million.
• Active Mobile Social Media Users: 3087 million.

According to the Indian World Stats, ITU; the statistics of the number of worldwide internet users in selected countries as of December 2017.

According to the reports by the business-to-business research firm called Clutch, 46% of US small businesses still didn’t have websites in 2016. Well, I was on the verge of starting a new business and I got thinking critically.

So, I asked myself this question many times: Why do I need a website for my business? Of course, my findings pointed towards the fact that I need a website to successfully run my business. As a matter of fact, I came to the realization that websites are not only recommended but they are actually a necessity for businesses.

It is apparent that most businesses specialize in selling either goods or services to their clients. Thus, in order to yield returns on investment and subsequently profitability, it is imperative for businesses to create channels connecting them to both existing and potential clients.

Having this notion in mind, I therefore realized that I need a website to reach out to my target audience, most of whom are online users.

According to a report by Global Digital Statistics, Stats & Facts, there were approximately 2.5 billion people online by the year 2014 and about 90% of them have shopped online.

According to a report by eMarketer, Stats & Facts, there were approximately 1.3 billion Digital Buyers by the year 2014 and there is about 14% increase each year.

Estimated Digital Buyer 2019 to 2021

2019: est. 1.92 billion.
2020: est. 2.05 billion.
2021: est. 2.14 billion.

Check out the estimated media usage in an internet minute as of June 2018.

Now, imagine the number of clients I could attract by targeting a fraction of this online population via my website.

As a business person, I need an eCommerce website that will act as an online storefront. The reason is that a website can also serve as a brochure or catalogue wherein goods and services can be displayed. Thus, instead of investing money in promotional materials, goods can be displayed through a website to a relatively large audience. That being said, a website should be organized in a manner that it gives a positive first impression to visitors.

You might be wondering to check out some facts.

According to eMarketer E-commerce share of total global retail sales from 2015 to 2021

According to reports by Statista; Retail e-commerce sales CAGR forecast in selected countries from 2018 to 2022.

Findings by the Missouri Institute of Science and Technology however, indicate that when a new visitor arrives on a website, it takes less than two-tenth of a second for that visitor to form an opinion of the website and the brand it represents.

The business world has become so competitive that businesses keep striving hard to outdo their competitors. Thus, if you are running a business, it is imperative to create a business website so that your rivals should not have a competitive advantage over you.

It is worthy to note that most customers typically start buying after research or recommendations from peers and social media platforms.

According to statistics from SeriusDecisions, 72% of customers go online to find reviews, testimonials and educational materials once they settle on what they want to buy.

This therefore implies that my competitors will always pull my potential clients if I do not have a website.

Another reason I need a website is that online reviews act as social proof. This assertion is backed by the fact that a large percentage of potential buyers often seek to read website reviews before purchasing goods and services.

According to We Are Social; Most famous social network sites as of April 2018.

According to a 2013 Dimensional Research sponsored by Zendesk, 90% of customer’s buying decisions are influenced by online reviews.

However, even though sites like Yelp specialize in reviewing businesses, websites are still highly recommended.

Of course, another major reason why I need a website is to have control over my narratives. It is obvious that I cannot control what others say about me or my business.

Hence, having my website will give me a room to create my own story, thereby influencing public perception.

Through a website, business owners can easily get their messages, personalities and missions to their target audience.

More so, customers prefer information directly from a website than from other sources. According to results from a survey by WP Engine Inc, 52% of clients prefer to go directly to a company’s website for branded content and product information.

Furthermore, I need a website to educate both my existing and potential clients about my brand, goods or services. Of course, this assertion can be backed by the fact that I can be in charge of what I publish via my website than anyone else.

For instance, through my website, I could write a great piece on how to use a particular product.

Here’s Digital Content Access of Internet Users Worldwide 2017 by Kaspersky.

Thus, it is evident that the more I educate people about my niche through my website, the more likely they will engage and purchase my goods or services.

Well, if for nothing else, I need a website just because my clients expect me to have one. Clients are generally considered KINGS and QUEENS in the business world, hence, it is imperative for business people to live up to their expectations. There are evidences that 60% of clients expect brands to provide content about their businesses via a digital platform. Thus, if you fail to create a website in today’s tech-savvy world, you are likely to lose your potential clients to your competitors.

Online Store owner might be wondering to check out some stats & facts.

According to CIGI; Ipsos here’s statistics of Preferred Online Retail Payment Methods Worldwide 2017

According to Juniper Research; here’s Number of users of selected global mobile payment platforms 2017

Also, through my website, I can rank high in Google search. According to a study conducted by GE Capital Retail Bank,

81% of people conduct online research before making a purchase.

Thus, business owners are advised to customize their meta descriptions, long-tail keywords and titles in a bid to improve the search engine optimization (SEO). Of course, this will increase the chances of ranking top in Google thereby increasing visibility to potential clients.

I need a website to ensure that my business runs continuously 24/7. This is particularly the case for e-commerce stores where customers can demand for products at any time irrespective of their geographical locations.

Thus, through a website, it is possible for clients to reach out to business owners even during odd hours.

Above all, I need a website to save both time and money. This assertion can be explained by the fact that a website can be constructed in such a way that answers questions about a brand, goods and services.

Of course, this saves time which would have been spent answering phone calls or emails of inquiry. More so, a website saves money which would have been used in printing promotional and marketing materials.

Now I would love to hear back from you.

What do you think about these list of reasons?

Or maybe if I have missed out any important reasons.

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below.