Why a Website is as Important as a Work Ute

Many regional small businesses prioritise a number of things over their website - their work ute, their shop fit-out, signage, Facebook Page, vehicle graphics - the website is an expensive nice-to-have that is only justifiable when there’s a decent amount of surplus time or money (which is like, never). 

But I want to show you why your website should be right at the top of the list when it comes to your small business infrastructure - and also, how this can be quick, easy and inexpensive to get started. 

But first, the why:

Marketing in general falls into one of those tricky grey areas where we can do a lot of things ourselves, thanks to the ever-growing list of user-friendly apps we have to choose from. However, there’s an underlying feeling of guilt when we think about investing time or money, particularly when it comes to our website. 

Not only that, marketing has a lot of intangible benefits that are sometimes hard to quantify, which makes it even harder to justify paying for help - it can sometimes feel like paying for nothing. Combine that with a bad experience you may have had with a marketing company who promised the world and did nothing, and you’ll find yourself caught in a cycle of burnout and indecision. 

Sure, there are some things I recommend you get a good handle on yourself, because being inside the business you’re in the best position to create behind-the-scenes videos, before & after shots for Instagram, Facebook Lives answering frequently asked questions, etc.  But before you shelve the whole website conversation for next financial year or when ‘thing settle down a bit’ (we all say this to ourselves), I want to ask you a few questions:

• Would you pass on buying a work truck? Would you give your shop fitout a miss and just have the products laid out on the floor? Of course not!

• Does spending $60k on a brand new work ute seem reasonable? Would you pay a contractor to handle the internal fitout of your premises? Yes. 

• What about spending $2k on a vehicle wrap so your new ute is connected to your brand, or signage that is professional and engaging - seems legit?

Why?

Because these are valuable tools and assets that have daily use in your business - they’re 5-10 year investments that need to be well-built, reliable and well presented when potential customers see you.

The kicker: your website is exactly the same - only more important. 

• It’s a long-term investment

• It’s a tool you should be using regularly in your business to connect with new customers

• It should be professionally designed to reflect well on your operation

• But most importantly potential customers will probably see it WAAAY before they see your work ute or your stunning shop. 

We live in a digital age - especially post-COVID - where potential customers will research your business online or ask for referrals via social channels before they hit the footpath. Your digital presence is their first point of contact with you - this is not the place to be skimping out. 

A website - built right - is like a 24/7 customer service representative. It’s there to:

• Welcome potential customers

• Answer any initial questions

• Offer free advice and guidance to showcase your value

• Take bookings

• Ask for details for a follow up quote

• Handle transactions

• Offer your potential customers discounts and exclusive offers in exchange for their contact details. 

We need to shift our thinking when it comes to a website - it’s less like a billboard and more like a staff member. A smart website you can access opens you up to a range of marketing opportunities that can run on autopilot in your business. You’re only limited by your imagination. 

The clincher: YOU need to be able to access it easily

Your website should be a tool that YOU can use regularly to take your understanding of your customers and turn it into a strategy for attracting more. So it needs to be on a platform that’s built with you - not your web developer - in mind. 

We’ve all heard horror stories about web designers that build websites that break, meanwhile they’ve gone MIA and you’re left holding the baby. Heck, I’ve built websites for small business owners in that very situation! So I want to give you the chance to take a website for a test drive. 

In my Free Resources section, you can sign up to be a part of my 5-Day Website Challenge. It walks you through the initial steps of setting up a Squarespace website - the platform all my client sites are built on - and gets you up and running with your very own website as well as getting the hang of the platform itself.