Does my business really need a website?

The short answer is yes, without a doubt.

Your website is quickly becoming as important, if not more so, than your physical clinic/ store. A website is the main, most frequent and usually first touchpoint for any brand. Envisage it as your virtual storefront, this is where most people will get their first impressions of your business, so make it good!

As a facial aesthetic business, the likelihood is that your business is primarily local - but did you know 97% of consumers find and research local business online? Can you really afford not to be present at this stage in the buyer journey?

This article highlights the key reasons you should have a well designed website for your business.

This can work both ways. Customers and prospects essentially come to your website for information. Depending on the decided function of your website it could be for treatment information, product information, a booking system, blog, or online shop, the possibilities go on. Therefore it’s important to make the website easy to navigate.

New customers may visit your site to find out more about who you are and what you do. This is a great opportunity to communicate your brand and push new website users to a contact form for data capture.

Your website can also be a research opportunity for your business. Reviewing website analytics allows you to see what pages/ content people are viewing. This can then be used to inform future marketing communications, product lines, treatment options etc. 

Installing additional features to your website such as a chatbot can also give you a more in-depth idea of your customers and capture their data to begin building a relationship with them.

It is expected of businesses nowadays to have a website. In fact, 84% of consumers believe it makes your business look more credible and professional, and 56% won’t trust a business without a website. But be aware, a badly designed website will not work in favour so always consider user experience (UX).

You can use your website to show off your clinic’s team and their qualifications, building trust amongst consumers. It’s also possible to integrate Google and Trustpilot reviews with your website, meaning users can continuously see up-to-date reviews from real-life, verified customers.

Having a website removes your usual 9am-5pm restrictions, it can be there for your customers even when you can’t. It means customers can find you wherever and whenever they need to, offering a simple, more comfortable, pressure-free way of interacting with your business. (It’s also an added bonus that you can guarantee you’ll be present at the same time, if not more so than your competitors).

It could be argued that a website is more useful for a small business than a large international, industry leading company, this is down to budget and time. 

A website can save you hundreds of hours attempting to answer phone calls, emails and Facebook messages of simple questions or inquiries, reducing the requirement for hands-on customer service. 

Have all of this information clearly displayed on a central, online location and watch the time-wasting enquiries transform into qualified, interested customers calling to book a consultation.

Generating leads through your website is the most effective way to ensure a positive return-on-investment (ROI). Directing customers from other digital channels, such as social media or email, to your website allows you to sculpt and, in some cases, accelerate their journey. 

For example, using a targeted ad for a specific treatment leading to an optimised landing page that works for both consumer (from a research perspective) and the business (by having a data input section to follow up on). Doing this can increase bookings or product sales and therefore resulting in a positive ROI.

As previously mentioned, your website is your central brand communication platform. Effectively designing and optimising your website allows you to determine your position in the marketplace, targeting your ideal customer and differentiate yourself from competitors.

Imagine your website as your early-teen childhood bedroom. Posters, decor, photos, quotes etc. proudly displayed to show-off your personality and let people know your desires and what is important to you. 

That’s all your website needs to do for your brand, communicate your brand personality and provide information on what it is you do and are passionate about.

It’s never been so easy to get a good looking website that simply does the job. However, to take full advantage of the benefits to come from having a website, it needs to be effectively designed; considering UX, cross-device design, SEO, CTAs, lead generation, landing pages etc.

Talk to us today to see how we can make your website work for you. Whether it be optimising an existing site or building a brand new one