Are websites still important?

September 7, 2011

With the current buzz around social media for business which includes Facebook fan pages,Twitter profiles and mobile apps that do 'almost' the job to have a complete online presence -we found a question that needs answering 'are websites still important?' Surely, most of youmust have pondered on this question too?

A website is a virtual reflection of your business - which provides your existing and potentialclients with information about your company or your products and services. While social mediachannels are useful to spread the word about your business, they are not the best vehicle whenit comes to consistent branding and thus are not replacing the need for a website that can bethe central location for your corporate information.

Businesses are also spending more budgets on creating mobile apps and at times almostreplicate their website information. However, while mobile applications potentially help users inconnecting to the services a particular company provides, the discoverability of apps is nowhereclose to those of a website. Apps make sense if the functionality is adding value to the end user,but it is not practical to create an app that just contains static information.

In one of our previous posts we spoke about Responsive Web Design which allows awebsite to render across different devices in a native way. Using this technique a website canbe ported to mobile devices, content remains accessible and discoverable at the same time.The same applies to social media as discussed in the post.

Social media and mobile apps are only two of the many comprehensive marketing tools requiredfor a strong digital presence and regardless of what your business objective may be, having awebsite is still the number one requirement as it offers unique benefits.

Some other good reasons why to have a comprehensive website:

Availability 24x7 for 365 daysWith a website you can give people a gateway to access your information at any time of the dayand from any place of the world. Your website is also more trusted than social media sourcesand represents the image of your company.

Showcase company projectsDisplaying all your work on your website is a strategy that fits into variety of industries. You mayadd information/screenshots/pictures/clients of your successful projects on your website pages.By making your body of work available in this manner, people will not need to wait for you toemail them out, but can simple access these by having your website address. Most users will stillresearch about a company using their website.

CredibilityGetting people to notice you, gaining their trust and educating people about what you haveto offer is very essential for establishing a business - a website helps you achieve this goal.Mentioning of reputed organizations that you belong to, listing the award categories that youhave won and also publishing customer testimonials will help in building your brand.

MarketingYour website promotes your company throughout the web. Search marketing is cheaper andmore targeted than other ways of advertising - through websites, your 'advertisement' isaccessible all the time, and you can change the content at your own convenience and potentiallyreach a wider audience from all around the world.

NetworkingBuilding up contacts, maintaining clients and getting new ones is important for any kind ofbusiness. A website helps you build your own network in the form of a database/blog/forumand connect with those who share your interests and benefit from the information you provide.Moreover, websites also help you cross-link with other related organizations which gives peoplemultiple avenues of finding you on the web.

MeasurementKnow what are you doing right and wrong with the help of the visitor polls, online surveys, andwebsite stats. Websites show you the amount of traffic you receive on different pages and youcan even analyze them geographically.

Conclusion: While we all know the unparalleled opportunities offered by social media andmobile apps, a company cannot neglect their website just yet. Designing your websites in a waythat it integrates seamlessly with all the other online channels is essential. This way you canmake full use of the technologies, applications and services available to you today and createthe right mix for your business.

Looking for a website design company? Talk to us today.

Written by
Alexander Rauser
Alexander Rauser

CEO

Alexander Rauser is the author of Boardroom Guide to Digital Accountability and Digital Strategy: A Guide to Digital Business Transformation, and creator of the DSX Program, a digital strategy and transformation program for Enterprises.

Related Articles

Subscribe to our blog

Subscribe to our blog to receive relevant news and tips about digital transformation, app development, website development, UX, and UI design. Promise we won't spam you.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.