This is the perfect time to start your website if you haven’t already
We all know of businesses in Zimbabwe that closed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns over the 2020 – 2021 period.
Many employees are now working from home, meetings are held on Skype or Zoom and online stores are flourishing.
As a result, local business owners and managers are for the first time seeing the advantages of ”going digital”. Digital is where the rest of the developed world has been for quite some time, and this is the perfect time to start your website so you catch up fast!
Did you know that the first web page went live on August 6, 1991 – almost 30 years ago! The address was http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html.
So much has changed since then including shorter and more memorable domain addresses. But the biggest change has been how customers are interacting with businesses online and it’s time that you join the online world.
Here are our six reasons why.
1. Be the Leader in Your industry / Sector
There are over 525,401,864 Internet users in Africa with the internet penetration rate increasing each year. You want to be the first in your industry to take over this ever-growing e-commerce network.
The richest man on earth, Jeff Bezos built his business without ever owning one physical shop and no matter what business you are in, you can do it too.
Not sure where to start, read this series of articles about creating a website.
2. Open 24/7, even during lockdowns
Have you ever had the dream of earning money whilst you sleep and during the times like the COVID-19 pandemic when those businesses that are online are still doing business?
A website allows you to be available around the clock and for your clients to have access to your business even when you’re not physically available.
During these current times, we are seeing a huge advantage of being open 24/7.
3. Websites are an Important Investment
Starting a business and opening a physical shop usually means hundreds or thousands of US$ a year, paying rent, in-shop stock, utilities, shop workers, etc.
Building a website for your business costs much less and if you are at the point where you have very little start-up funds, you can even begin your first website for free and upgrade as you go to a more sophisticated Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress.
4. Wide Reach
Unlike a shop or physical business where you have to wait for the client to come to you, the internet puts you directly in front of wider audiences increasing the number of people who can interact with you and that are likely to be interested in your business, locally, regionally and internationally.
5. Customer Convenience
No matter the industry that you are in, there are countless benefits to your customers of your business operating online.
They do not need to put up with crowds, no pressure, customers get to shop at their own time and wherever they are.
But the biggest convenience is being able to provide customers with customer care whenever THEY need it.
6. Business Credibility, Leading to More Sales.
Massive 53% of shoppers say they always do research before they buy online to ensure they are making the best possible choice.
When you have a well designed and credible website and obtain credible great customer reviews online, more people are likely to trust your brand and therefore more likely to pick your business when making their purchase.
Without a well-designed website people nowadays will question the legitimacy of your business.
Do you want to learn how websites fit in the digital marketing system and usher your business into a prosperous future? Start here or contact me, Nikolina today.