Most of the world is on the internet nowadays, at least 80 percent of our country is anyway. Despite that, some businesses still can’t see the value in having an online presence. It’s sometimes a surprisingly hard sell convincing them that they could benefit by having a website designed by us.

Even if the business has a strong local bias, a loyal customer base, and no plans to expand, it’s still worth having a web presence.Convincing a business that it needs a website can be a tough undertaking. The fact they still don’t have one demonstrates that these clients are either small, new, or behind the times. Cash is often an issue too, with startup costs and limited clientele until the business gains a foothold.

We tend to use a few selling points to sell web design to these kinds of clients. Let’s discuss them here.

Availability

Even the hardest working business owner can’t operate 24/7. They have to sleep, have family time, and rest so they can function properly. A website doesn’t need rest. It can be selling, answering questions, and gaining customers while you sleep. The world is full of time zones, when it’s midnight here, its midday somewhere else. Business is a 24-hour activity, and if you aren’t in it, you’re out.

A great website design is a storefront to the world, open all day, every day.

Reach

Some businesses are purely local, with a local clientele and a narrow focus. That’s fine in those cases, but for everyone else reaching new markets is a must. Widening a customer base ensures security, stability and enables expansion. Resources in a given area are finite. Expanding that area allows a business to exploit resources further afield. The wider the reach, the wider the customer base.

A website is open to the world. If you sell products and can ship them internationally, the world is literally open for business.

Exposure

Oscar Wilde once said “The only thing worse than being talked about, is not being talked about.” Never a truer word said when it comes to making money. If people don’t know your business exists, they can’t spend their money with you.

A website ensures exposure, and a coherent SEO strategy ensures word gets around about what you offer.

ROI

Return on Investment is more important to some businesses than others. It can often very quick to realize. For the relatively modest amount we charge to design it, the website has the potential of making the client many times more than that. Hosting costs very little, and once the site is live, it can be left alone. A regular update process will improve search results, but apart from that, maintenance is minimal.

Convincing companies to have a business website is occasionally harder than it should be. However, illustrating the company’s main competitors and how they approach the internet is a great way of convincing them.