Do you remember the episode of The Office where Dwight competes with a computer? If you’re not familiar with the episode, the premise is as follows:
The Dunder Mifflin Infinity website is going to launch and Michael, the Regional Manager, is excited about going to the big launch party in New York. Meanwhile, Dwight competes against the website to see who can sell the most paper in one day. (Also, if you’ve never watched The Office….Dunder Mifflin is a fictional paper sales company.) Dwight ultimately wins the challenge.
This episode proves an important point. Dwight had to work extra hard and more efficiently while competing with the computer to make sales. It’s easier to do when you’re sitting in an office, but what if you’re out at a trade show or not at a desk? It’s easier to have the customer order paper from a user-friendly website than for you to have to write down the order, go back to the office, and manually enter in the order information. Also, what if the customer wants to look at your entire line of products and wants to customize his or her order?
It would be a lot easier to send the customer to a website and let them choose and order whatever they’d like online. A user-friendly and SEO-optimized website can help people find your business, showcase your products or services, and ultimately help you effectively compete in the market.
Why Having A Good Website Matters
Did you know that 86% of consumers rely on the internet to find a local business? If you don’t have a website, it’s hard for people to find your business. There are other benefits for having a good website including:
Establish social proof
If you’re a small business, you can and probably should display logos like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) on your website to inform people that you’re a legitimate company. If you’re able, it’s also a great idea to show logos or mention companies you work with to establish credibility and strengthen social proof.
Effectively compete in the market
Let’s face it. It’s difficult to run a business and effectively compete. It’s even more difficult if people aren’t familiar with your business or your competitors offer so much more. With a great website, you can make it easier for potential customers to find your business. If somebody wanted to buy a product from you, it’ll be easier for them to do a quick Google search for companies that offer that product and go from there. In order to compete effectively, your business needs to be where people are looking for your products or services.
Showcase your products, services, and value proposition
Your website can not only show your physical products, but it can also show your company’s value proposition. For example, if your company has amazing customer service, you can display your feedback scores on your website. Don’t be afraid to let people know what makes you great.
Get feedback in order to improve your product/service
Your website can also be a platform to answer questions and address concerns. If people are raving about your product, publish those testimonials to help spread the good news about your product or service. If customers have common questions or concerns, use an FAQ page to help answer common questions and share any feedback with your team so they can improve where your product or service may be lacking.
Optimize Your Website
Having a website is just the first step, and most of you have probably already taken it. But just having a website isn’t enough–it has to be optimized. My guess is that Dunder Mifflin Infinity wasn’t as optimized as it could have been.
Make sure your website is optimized for mobile
We shouldn’t have to keep saying this in 2020, but we do. Did you know that from 2012 to 2018, the total daily amount of time spent on a mobile device in the US by adults jumped from 88 to 203 minutes a day? As devices improve and connectivity gets faster, people are spending an increasing amount of time on their phones. In addition, 85% of adults think that a company’s website, when viewed on a mobile device, should be as good or better than its desktop website. By optimizing your website for mobile, you’re able to meet your customers where they are and make it easier for them to do business with you when they’re ready.
Ensure your content is optimized for SEO
71% of B2B shopping research starts with a generic search. It’s great if you have a website, but it’s not so great if people can’t find you. Keep in mind that your content must be relevant to what you’re providing. Do keyword research and optimize your pages to create content that matches your product offering or services. Check out our 5 tips for optimizing your search presence.
Don’t sacrifice user experience for design
Your website should be beautiful, but not at the expense of it being functional. Why not have both? 88% of online visitors are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience. This startling statistic should be an indicator that user experience does matter. If it takes 15 minutes to find product information, potential customers will likely abandon the site and go to a competitor that provides a better online user experience.
Dwight won’t always win
Even though Dwight made more sales than the website, that was just day one. Your website should not be looked at as a replacement for a B2B sales force, but it should definitely be used to make their jobs easier.
Having a website makes running a business and selling products and/or services much easier. Looking to improve your website or optimize your site’s SEO? Reach out to us for help.
