Having a website for your business has become the in-thing whereby every business craves to have one so that their customers can see information about them online, as well as, communicate with them.
But have you asked yourself, why does my business really need a website?
No doubt most businesses, if not all, need online presence and this is the reason I have come up with these guidelines on why your business needs a website, especially in Nigeria:
- Who are your target markets?
First thing you need to consider when asking yourself if your business needs a website is what kind of people does your target market comprise of. For instance, if your target market comprises working class people, you should be rest assured that, depending on your product or/and service and how important it is to the everyday need of an individual, you will easily get online leads because your customers may not have time shopping during the weekdays and need a way to purchase your product or/and services without leaving their offices. Another scenario is based on the peculiar environmental condition where your target market is situated. E.g. Lagos is known for high traffic conditions and some people may need alternative means of purchasing your product instead of facing traffic, depending on where your office or shop is located.
- What kind of products or/and services do you offer?
Another thing you should put into consideration is the kind of product you sell or the services you render. There is hardly any product or/and service that cannot be marketed online to the extent that there are websites such as olx.com.ng that display all sorts of products or/and services as a means for sellers to meet buyers in order to have their needs satisfied. In this case, your website can be a means whereby your customers can see what you have in stock or know the extent of the services you render.
- How do you communicate with customers?
Having an online presence is not only to showcase your products or/and services online, but it’s also a means by which you can communicate with customers.
There may be customers who stumble on your website and want to know more of your products or/and services, they can easily see your email and phone number to contact you or send you a message through your contact us page. You can also use social media platforms to communicate with your customers by offering insights on things they need to do to better their lives or make their lives easier. It can even be a means by which you make people aware of the need of your products or/and services.
- How do you show customers you’re reliable?
Now a days, it’s like it has been embedded in our conscience, to want to check out a business online when we hear of them, as a means of credibility of such businesses. Please, do not get me wrong, there can be dubious businesses online as well but if you have established yourself, online, in such a way that your customers feel confident in patronizing you, then you would have saved yourself the time of having to convince them face to face.
- How do you represent yourself to the world?
If your business has a website, you are not only going to attract customers within your locality but also those who are not in your part of the world, depending on the kind of products or/and services you offer. So based on the content of your website, it becomes your representative to those who make use of your online presence as a means to patronize you. Therefore, your website should not only be full of products or/and services but should also have an appeal that will attract and engage visitors. For some time now, people get a lot of money from ads by showing people trending gists e.g. lindaikeji.blogspot.com or bellanaija.com. There are also websites people create as a means of showcasing stories about themselves, others or fictional stories which their audience enjoy, and depending on the traffic they generate to their website, they can use it as a means of making income.
- How do you reduce cost of advertising?
A website, social media platforms and online adverts can help you reduce cost of advertising to a great extent. Take for instance, newspaper, magazine, radio, television, billboard or flyer adverts; all can be really expensive, depending on the extent to which you intend on promoting your business. No doubt, they can be effective means of publicizing your business but they require capital. Also, those that see your business through these channels may also want to know more by checking out your website. Now, your website can display as much content of your business as you want at a cost that is very low compared to using traditional means. Also, using social media platforms effectively can help you promote your business to customers for free. You may also want to extend your reach by purchasing online ads, which are very cheap compared to the traditional methods and they can help you target your audience/customers so that those you attract are mainly interested in your products or/and services.
With all these outlined and if they are convincing enough for you to have a website, you may ask yourself:
How much does it cost to have a website in Nigeria?
Based on this we have critically looked at the situation of the country, putting into consideration different types of businesses, such as startup, small and growing businesses. We have packaged professional and affordable website plans for startup, small and growing businesses in Nigeria in order to give you the needed online presence to grow your business, increase customer base, reduce cost of advertising and generate more leads.
We will be pleased to hear your views and contributions on this topic by commenting below
