Websites are known to be potent marketing instruments. A well designed and properly maintained website helps gain a competitive advantage in the industry which helps improve a business’s image. For small businesses, it provides numerous advantages.

Developing a website offers numerous benefits including helping the business achieve leads & prospective customers, boost sales, enhance the professional brand and improve your customer service.

However, there is a surprising statistic. It has been revealed that 30% of small businesses do not have a website.  Though 50% of small business globally have invested in making a website, 20% of them roll them back citing multiple factors.

The following are the benefits websites can give to small businesses as determine by a Dubai Web Design company:

1. It helps improve effectiveness of advertising

Placing the website’s URL address on promotional material helps a business gain the needed additional exposure. It also encourages visitors to first check the website for information they wish to seek.

2. It helps save costs on publishing & distribution

A website acts as a business’s online catalogue (brochure) that can be changed/updated anytime. If a business employs a content management system (CMS), they can make quick changes without incurring a cost.

3. It gives new customers easy access to a business

A business’s existing customers can refer it to new customers through the business’s website (i.e. by sharing its URL).

4. It is easy to use an update

If a website is maintained properly, it will always be up to date. Making edits, deletions and updates on it is easy through ay computer. Businesses no longer have to pay a programmer each time they want to add anything new.

5. It helps improve productivity

A website helps boost the business’s productivity by reducing time spent on explaining a product or service to customers. Such details are present on the website round the clock.

6. It helps educate customers

A business’s website can offer its customers free advice about its products and services, as such information can be delivered to them at any time of the day in a consistent way.

7. It helps expand a business’s market

The internet helps business bypass geographical boundaries and becomes accessible from any part of the world by a potential customer with an internet connection. Selling products online is easy for the business and its customers.

8. It helps extend the local reach

A website helps extend a business’s local reach to customers beyond its own geographic locale. They are open for business round the clock with all the information visitors need to make an informed decision.

9. It helps promotion & sale of products & services

A business can provide photos & brief details of products & services it sells online. It can also explain how its product line is better than that of competitors and can show them how they are beneficial in their personal or professional lives.

10. It can help promote a business’s physical presence

When customers are on the go, they will be able to find your business on the internet as well as other details such as address and phone number. Such can be added to the business’s website.

11. It updates customers about changes in location

If a business shifts itself to a new location, your customers can locate it easily via the website (provided it is timely updated). The website is flexible, a unique marketing tool and gets further utilised through proper search engine optimisation.

12. It helps a business find new employees with ease

A business can post new job opportunities on its websites. Aspiring applicants can check about it online and apply online as well.

13. It helps a business carve out its own internet identity

A business can create its own domain name which helps establish a robust online brand identity.

14. Email addresses can be set up

A business can set up personalised email addresses for itself and its employees. For this to work, a system that accepts, updates and sends emails helps the business email notices, updates, sale offers, discounts and other related things to customers.

15. It creates a two-way communication

Customers can contact a business faster & easier than before. They can also give feedback on the product line and other related matters.

16. It is an affordable tool for market research

Businesses can feature visitor poll & online surveys in emails and, on the websites, to take customer feedback, opinion and views.

17. It helps a business create its reputation

Businesses can add a blog section on their website, helping them demonstrate knowledge & expertise in their area of work. It can also help educate visitors.

18. It helps in improving customer service

It can help process information requests timely through online forms.