Why YOU Need a Website
Q: I have a very small business and I don’t want to sell my product online. Do I really need a website?
A: Many small businesses ask this question because they don’t think they need a website. Without going any further my answer is yes. If you have a business you should have a website. Period.
Why You Should Have a Business Website
A majority of people these days look online to research a product or service before they buy it. If you don’t have a presence online, they won’t find you. Not having a website is like not being listed in the phonebook back in the 90’s. However, just having a website won’t cut it. If your site is outdated or doesn’t look professional, people will be turned off. It’s all about first impressions and you want to make sure that you make a good one.
Why You Should Have a Personal Website
If you don’t own a business, it can still be a good idea to get a website. One way to stand out among other job applicants is by owning your own domain name. By doing so you can create a professional looking email address.
Here’s a question for you: if you were looking to hire somebody, would you be more inclined to hire the person with a professional email such as contact@johndoe.com or a generic email 123johnd123@hotmail.com? The person with a custom domain email is more likely to be picked. You can take this a step further by having your own website using your proper name for your domain. That way when employers search for you the first result listed will be your website rather than an old myspace page with pictures you aren’t too proud of.
How Things Are Changing
Today, it’s just as important to have a website that works on PC’s (and all of the different web browsers) as well as mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Many mobile devices do not support Adobe Flash (iPhones and iPads in particular) which is why I do not recommend using Flash for a website. This year even Google has started punishing websites in search results that are not mobile friendly which is another reason why it is so important to have a responsive website.