In today’s technological age, social media and it’s influence is expanding. With such a big influence, staying active on the Internet and social media can be a game changer for companies and the way they do business.

Having a solid website is perhaps one of the most important tools companies can have. If you’re starting a small business and are contemplating a website for your business, it’s a must. In fact, here are 4 ways a website can help your business.

• Credibility: When it comes to your business website, think of that as a business address. Simply put, this is where people will be able to find you online. Each page of your website should have a purpose. The home page is inviting and lets people see what your business has to offer. The contact and about pages tell visitors about your business and how to contact you.
  
  Most importantly, having a website gives your business credibility. It gives that business an online identity and proves your company is real. Studies have shown that customers are more likely to trust a business if they have a website with social media accounts as compliments.
• Helping Build Business: With the continued growth of the Internet, websites are just for information and marketing anymore. Today’s websites are tools businesses use to grow by sharing their stories and values and conducting business online.
  
  With today’s ease of Internet access, a website is essential and it’s also important for it to be user-friendly to build your business and a website development company can help with that.
  
  Forbes finds that 44% of web users are turned away by bad mobile navigation. A slow-loading web page can turn visitors off too. In fact, 40% of them will leave a site if a page isn’t loaded in at least three seconds.
  
  A website development company can also help you build your business by making your website look more inviting. Surveys have found that almost 50% of people think the design of a site is among the top criterion for determining a company’s credibility. Additionally, about 40% of folks will leave or disengage from a site if the layout looks boring or the site isn’t engaging enough.
• Standing out: It’s been estimated that more than three billion people are online every single day. By not having a company website, you’re doing your small business a disservice and missing out on the opportunity to make your business stand out.
  
  How can your business stand out online? A website development company can develop a Website that makes it easy to find online. A website also can give your small business a platform to distribute content online via social media, blogs and other platforms. It also gives you a chance to conduct business all day, every day.
• Building Relationships: Whether you’re conducting business in a brick and mortar store or online through a website, you need to establish loyalty. You want customers to be interested in your products and do repeat business.
  
  A website can let visitors know just who you are and what your business is all about. In turn, you can allow visitors and customers to leave comments and complete surveys to let you know what they like or don’t like about your business and where you can improve going forward.
  
  When it comes to your market, remember the 80-20 rule: 80% of your site should be relevant to what a customer is looking for. The other 20% should be used to bring folks up to speed on what your business is about.

On average, Google receives almost four billion queries every day. It’s unlikely that your small business will have the same online impact online as a giant such as Google, but the point is this: a website will increase your credibility, help you build brand loyalty and drum up interest in your business.

Combining an easy-to-use website with an increased, SEO and social media footprint as well as analytics will allow companies to reap many online business and social media benefits. Companies out front of their online marketing campaigns will have customers more engaged and interested in what they have to offer and a website development company or website design agency can help you create the perfect site to make that happen.