It’s true that some businesses trading face to face in local markets could potentially get away with just having a presence on Instagram, alongside selling on one of the online shopping sites. However, if you are looking to grow your business and take advantage of SEO, for example, you’ll need a website.
“Social media is fantastic for engagement but you’re limited by how much creative control you have over someone’s experience of your brand or the story being told. When someone lands on your website, they haven’t got there by accident, so are already intrigued by what you do - this is your opportunity to engage further with them and move them down the funnel through compelling storytelling and spot-on messaging. Unlike the scroll-and-go nature of social media, website visitors are taking the time to get to know you and are showing themselves to be hot leads.”
She adds: “Your website is vital for your marketing strategy. It's the one place where you have total control over your brand story, with no algorithms or platform restrictions holding you back.”
Here at Target Ink, we have noticed that team members within a business will sometimes downplay the importance of their company’s website and may actually never look at it… Instead, they will be more engaged by events that the business hosts, a new logo or posts that are shared on social media.
“While your team might not check the website daily, trust me - every potential client, partner and industry peer is scoping it out,” explains Camilla. “Your website is often making first impressions, while your team is busy. A sleek, well-maintained website shows you're serious about your game. The investment you put into your website directly reflects how the market perceives your brand's value.”
First impressions count and we find that if we’ve met somebody at a networking event or are considering working with another business, we will still check out their website. If it backs up that good first impression and confirms that organisation as credible and professional, then that’s great. If it doesn’t look professional and is at odds with that first meeting in ‘real life’, then it feels jarring.
“For your audience, your website is their one-stop-shop to learn everything about you, from your products and services to what makes you the experts in your field,” says Camilla. “Prospects use websites to scope out businesses and the quality of your website is seen as a direct reflection of how seriously you take your business.”
Your website is also your company’s depository, where you can store all those important things – such as news items and blogs. Marketers will talk a lot about creating content and it’s key to have somewhere to put it. Also, as we’ve shared before, the case study area of our own website is the section which has the most visitors.
“A solid content hub on your website is key to being seen as an authority in your space,” says Camilla. “Social posts are great to build awareness but content posted there has a short lifespan. It’s vital to use social media to drive traffic to your site, so you can use analytics to understand who’s engaging with you and move them down the sales funnel.”
Potential customers are more likely to find your business if you’ve got a website aided, of course, by SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Social media networks are increasingly being indexed on Google but having a website gives your business access to more tools and strategies to make SEO really work to your advantage.
During the pandemic, we noticed it was those businesses with an established website that were better prepared to deal with the challenges. This is especially true for retail and hospitality, as their premises were shut for long periods of time. Without that bricks and mortar presence, customers increasingly turned to those businesses’ websites.
At that time, a number of our clients asked for us to integrate online retail into their sites and websites became the place customers went to find out what that business was all about. Websites also offer 24/7 accessibility. While your physical location might be shut and your customer service team might be offline, your website is always there, allowing potential customers to engage with your brand anytime, anywhere.
In turn, seeing the journey these potential customers make will give you an invaluable insight into visitor behaviour, helping you to refine your marketing strategies. Your website also plays a vital role as a sales and conversion tool. Whether you're selling products, services or simply capturing leads, your website is key to converting visitors into customers. With well-placed calls-to-action, optimised landing pages and user-friendly navigation, your website can drive users through the sales funnel.
“Your website is vital as a sales conversion tool,” says Camilla. “Lead generation forms or gated content on your website capture valuable data that can be fed into your CRM and used in automated nurture campaigns. Analytics provide insights into visitor behaviour, so you optimise conversion flows. And, if you want to take that one step further, you can tailor landing pages with bespoke content, offers, and CTAs (calls to action) based on who’s visiting your website.”
Finally, your website is not just a tool to attract new clients – it can also play an important role in recruitment. If your website looks current and professional and, importantly, showcases your company as a good place to work – then it can only help with attracting the best people.
If you’d like to discover more about making your website work for you, call us at Target Ink on: 01892 800400
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