If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that the Internet is our most reliable resource. It’s where we find our loved ones, stay up-to-date with the happenings of the world, and where every single business and brand exists… or doesn’t.
Your clients/customers can access your business information at the click of a button and make snap judgements on your credibility, the quality of your business, and whether they want to engage with you or not. If your customers were to look you up right now, what would they find? Are you proud of your digital footprint? Does it accurately represent your offerings and your brand values?
When you think about what it takes to open a physical shopfront, you would assume it takes: a lot of planning, hard work and a rather large financial investment to get off the ground, yeah? Let’s say you’re opening a cafe or a small boutique – you’d need to fit out that shop, make it look beautiful, stock up on product, pay for rent, utilities etc, the list goes on. Businesses can expect to spend anywhere up to 100k on a physical startup, but how much of that money is used in the digital realm?
In 2020, a global pandemic caused the worst recession Australia has experienced in over 50 years. We’ve seen endless businesses shut down either permanently or indefinitely, friends and family members losing their jobs, but we’ve also seen a major boom in online sales. The question I keep asking myself is this, how many of those businesses would have survived if they had invested as much into their virtual business as they did their physical business?
We, humans, are incredibly adaptable creatures and are experiencing a groundbreaking shift towards accessing our everyday needs online. We’re getting live streams from our favourite bands, cooking classes from famous chefs, even our doctors and physiologists are now offering phone and video consultations. There truly aren’t many businesses that can’t operate digitally at least in some capacity.
Which leads me to my next question: why aren’t people investing in their online presence? So, so often, (and I’ve been guilty of this in the past, too) I hear people say “Oh, I can’t really afford a big website” or “I only need something basic” – I personally think that is simply not true. Whether you are just starting up a business or you’ve been in business for 10+ years, you should know that if you want to see growth, you need to invest in your business, and the most important aspect of that is your online impression.
As far as the general public are concerned, your website IS your business!
Well, the internet is the face of your business 24-7 and your ideal clients will make an array of conscious and subconscious decisions about whether they like you or not…. get this… within the FIRST 0.05 seconds that they are engaging with your website!! Huge, right? According to S.W.E.O.R, the first impressions made by consumers are 94% design related, and 57% of users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website (let alone no website at all). So let me ask you again, does your online presence accurately represent your offerings and brand values? Ok girlfriend, it might be time to invest in your website.
As far as the general public are concerned, your website IS your business! While we may not be able to control lockdown measures or global pandemics, one thing you will always have control over, is the way your customers or clients experience your business online. It’s more important now than ever before to invest in a visually impressive and intuitive website so that you can feel confident in the credibility of your business anywhere, anytime.
