From startup culture to entrepreneurship, there are many businesses today still in the earlier stages of company building. These small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are growing at a steady rate, but at some point, they plateau when the humble state of their marketing is not enough to build a greater brand presence due to presumed costs.
Most SMEs prefer to avoid these expenses by relying on social media alone for all of their marketing, but no matter how many pages they make, the resulting growth is incremental, if any at all. In reality, what they lack is an actual website that costs much less than it sounds but leads to tremendous benefits for any enterprise, no matter the size.
Once they’re ready to take their marketing more seriously, SMEs can enlist the help of a digital marketing company in Singapore. Professionals can help with perfecting the website, but before then, the SME should understand why exactly they would need a website in the first place.
Made for the Business by the Business
The first hurdle for an SME is usually the idea that social media is a free alternative, but the problem is that this puts them at the mercy of the platform. SMEs do not determine what viewers will see first nor how potential customers navigate their pages on these social media sites, which can gravely affect anyone’s impression of the product or company.
The exact opposite is the case of a website made for and by the enterprise, which can be customised all around for the business. A website allows SMEs to decide on interfaces, buttons, layouts, pages, and any other functions that the company feels would best showcase their business.
The Face and Experience of the Business
Aside from building the website itself, SMEs need to realise that the rise of e-commerce means that an online presence is now central to the company image beyond any traditional marketing. More than just the face, it determines most of how customers interact with the enterprise. It’s an opportunity to provide the information that they want customers to see first and how they see it.
In fact, a website can streamline transactions with customers by allowing direct purchases through the site itself, or in the case of services, there can be a calendar page for booking appointments. As an extra, the site can keep customers up to date through a company blog while also increasing the odds of coming up on search results online.
Search Engines Are An Equaliser
What most SMEs do not realise is that the search function on social media platforms works in the same way they find people whom they already know. Anyone who finds brands on social media already knows what they are looking for, placing an advantage on larger, more popular enterprises. In contrast, people tend to use more general terms on search engines for anything that they need.
While a website might seem like a mere blip in the world wide web, search query algorithms undermine this through relevance. Location-based results are also likely to land them on the pages of even the smallest businesses. This would put SMEs on a nearly even playing field in virtual marketing, as they appear more frequently in search results.
Credibility and Expansion
SMEs likely have a small following of loyal customers who may refer the product or service to their peers. However, a link to a social media site may breed a lot more scepticism in potential customers who may brush it off as a stranger’s garage sale. This also relies too much on word of mouth and hearsay for current customers to convince other people to trust the product.
All these issues are mitigated by having a website. The domain name alone introduces the SME brand when loyal customers simply forward the link to peers who are guaranteed to see it, even without clicking. The website can do all the talking with an informative homepage. Furthermore, it allows company presence to reach places all around the world instead of just locals.
Easy and Cheap to Do Now
Perhaps the greatest drawback for SMEs still hesitating to create a website is the complex process of building and web design. While this was once the case in the past, there are actually plenty of accessible and affordable web builders online.
These special platforms provide a user-friendly interface and intuitive publishing tools that help even the smallest businesses look professional yet unique in presentation. In addition, some web builders even offer a free basic tier that could allow an SME to get started, and once they are convinced of the investment, only then will they need to pay for the complete web suite and a personal domain.
After all this, it should be impossible for any SME to believe that they can thrive without a website. Rather than a luxury, a website is now a necessity for any business to grow at all, especially in the advent of virtual marketplaces and smart technologies. There is no time left to waste if any enterprise wants to remain afloat or to take the next step in the business.