16 Reasons to have a Website

In the changing world of social media, why would you still need a website? After all, can't I just list on Google+, do lots of Facebooking and Twitter away to draw attention to myself?

At the risk of sounding like special pleading, we can think of many reasons why you should. Here are the top ones:

1. Image and presentation

   You have an image, a brand even. Do you really want to look like everyone else on Facebook? a website allows you to control the way you want to appear. Just spend a little time looking at the enormous range of great looking websites and tell yourself there is nothing better out there than the start page of Google.

2. Credibility

   With a website, you really exist as a business or an organisation.  Moreover, you will have looked at examples of lousy websites and know that a good website really enhances the way you appear to your customers and potential clients.

3. If you dont have a website, you look as if you can't afford it

   And who wants to look like they can't afford it.

4. Missing out on sales

   This is the way people beat a path to your door in the 21st century. Give them a nice path of your own choosing to walk up.

5. Search, search, search

   You can be found and, what is more, you can decide what are the reasons people will find you.

6. Retaining and managing your own customer base for newsletters, email, correspondence

   Give them an exciting experience and they will return for more.

7. Cross promotion with social media

   We didn't say you should ditch social media. Having a web-site allows you to create multiple platforms for your good and services when you put the two together.

8. Keeping things fresh

   You wanted a platform, why not create your own blog and do so.

9. It's low cost

   Compare the cost of a website to bricks and mortar or to employing someone on a store.

10. It runs 24 hours a day (well it should)

    We need to sleep. It reaches the parts of the world that you can't while you do.

11. You can keep your own information up to date

    Use the web as a central source for informing your clients about your business, providing them with updated product information, or help sheets or just to tell them what is going on.

12. Your competitors have one

    And who wants to be beaten by the competition

13. International reach

    On the web, you can be as big or as small as you like.

14. Customer support

    Give your customers extra ways to find you with message dialogue, video linking and email.

15. Add your own downloads and documentation

    In the past, that technical document had to be posted, now you can give your customer immediate access to the most up-to-date information.

16. Be in control of your own destiny. Enough said.

The big companies will always try to get us all to subscribe to a homogenized and sanitized web of their own choosing. Do you really want your site to look like Facebook or Twitter or do you want to create something that will attract them and bring them back for more?