If you are one of the many self-employed people without a business website, now is the time to reconsider. A website doesn\u2019t cost a lot of money and needn\u2019t take up a great deal of time to look after, but with more people using the internet to find businesses than ever, it can help you attract new customers and increase your revenue. Here\u2019s how self-employed people can benefit from having a website.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
According to WebFX<\/a>, 93% of people looking for a business, product or service in 2021 began their search online by using a search engine. 91% of those searches were done on Google. What people want from their search results are links to a website where they can learn about a business and its products and services. If you don\u2019t have a website, that 93% of searchers will be unable to find out about your company \u2013 just imagine how many more customers you might get if they could! Instead, they\u2019ll only find your competitors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Most self-employed people run businesses that serve local communities. Creating a website helps because if you register for a Google My Business<\/a> account, your business profile and links to your site are more likely to show up in search results. This lets people know your local business is of the type that they are looking for \u2013 and while you can have a Google My Business account without a website, without one, you\u2019ll need one so people can find out more about you at the click of a button.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The information you provide on your website and Google My Business can drive more customers to your door. It can tell people where you are located, provide directions via Google Maps, display your opening hours, telephone number and even show reviews and ratings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Today, not only do people expect every business to have a website; it can raise eyebrows when there isn\u2019t one. Is it a legitimate business? Is it a professional company? Recent research has shown that 56% of consumers don\u2019t trust a company without a website. At the same time, those that do, often choose it because they believe they will get rock bottom prices.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Having a website does two important things here. It improves trustworthiness for the 56% of doubtful consumers and by creating great content about your products or services, it allows you to improve your reputation and charge more for the work you do.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Combining a website with online reviews is even better. 92% of people won\u2019t buy from companies that have no reviews, so having good reviews and a website is a great way to drive new customers and get paid a fairer price for your services.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The majority of self-employed people without a website rely on a range of other marketing techniques to attract customers: adverts in local publications, social media accounts, business cards, etc.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A website not only adds another way to market your products \u2013 one that is accessed by more people than any other form of advertising \u2013 it complements your existing advertising too. Putting your web address in your adverts and on your social media accounts and business cards lets people get the detailed information they need about your business. You can even display the address on your vehicle, work clothing and packaging or have it printed on to merchandise. More people are likely to make use of this than they would your telephone number.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Your website can gather some very useful information to help you grow your business even more. For example, your website can collect email addresses and use these for email campaigns to promote your business, perhaps sending special offers or showcasing new services. This can also cut the costs of printing flyers as you can just send them electronically.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You can also collect website visitor information using free services like Google Analytics. This can tell you where visitors are located, their age, what they were searching for, what type of device they were using and so much more. It can also tell you which pages of your site perform the best \u2013 helping you make improvements that keep customers interested in buying from you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Whether you sell products, services or both, having a website means you can sell them online. You can have a store to sell products, just like Amazon, or let customers book and pay for services, such as hair appointments, car MOTs, window cleaning or anything else you offer. The key advantages here are that people can buy around the clock, so your business carries on working even after you close for the day \u2013 and you provide the convenience modern customers expect by helping them do things quickly and easily online. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n New to online selling? Check out our Beginner\u2019s Guide to Selling Products Online<\/a> to get started today!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For the self-employed, having a website brings many benefits. It helps you get found, connect with local customers, get more people to your door, improve reputation, enhance current marketing and sell online.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What\u2019s great is that with free and easy to use website building tools, like WordPress, creating a website is easier than it\u2019s ever been. And with the cost of secure and reliable web hosting only a few pounds per month, nothing is holding you back from taking advantage of everything a website has to offer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you are considering a WordPress website for your business, check out our WordPress hosting<\/a> plans.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you are one of the many self-employed people without a business website, now is the time to reconsider. A website doesn\u2019t cost a lot of money and needn\u2019t take…<\/p>\nIdeal for local companies<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Direct customers to your premises<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Improve reputation and charge more<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Enhance your marketing<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Collect and make use of data<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Sell directly from your site<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n