If you have, for example, a small brick-and-mortar furniture store with no online presence or website, would you just send out a sign-spinner whose sign simply says “Furniture” with an arrow pointing in the general direction of your store? You might, and people do, but it doesn’t bode well for attracting new business. Why? Because first impressions matter, and the aforementioned sign-spinner, unless he or she is also juggling chainsaws, will most likely not elicit much interest in anything besides their theatrical antics.

The same can be said about a lackluster website. Imagine that same furniture brick-and-mortar now has a website but has replaced the sign-spinner with only an arrow to click on its homepage that says “Furniture,” and what follows is just a couple of grainy and dull pictures of just a couple pieces of furniture with no added information. A visitor might click said arrow out of curiosity, but it will leave a dull first impression, and many visitors will be more apt to keep searching other sites and buy from the furniture store whose website includes all the elements of professionalism, such as slideshows featuring top-quality photos of the finest furniture in stock, links to other products sold, sales offers, promotions, company info, etc.

So why all the bells and whistles? Simply put, if you don’t have a professional looking website, or a website period, you are missing out on business, and losing it to your competitors that do. By not having a quality website, you risk potential customers not being able to reach you, but with a website your business is virtually accessible around the clock every day of the year. The bottom line is that in today’s technologically advanced society it is essential that every business, large or small, have a website, and the more professional looking, the better.

Once your professionally designed website is up and running, it will allow for customer convenience. Many purchases are made in the minds of consumers from the comfort of their living room or a coffee shop while browsing your business online. This is when high-quality photos really come into play, as pictures are not only worth a thousand words but perhaps thousands of dollars. Most people like to see your stock online before having to drive to the store to see if they like anything at all, and if they can order online, so much the better.

A professional looking and designed website enhances your credibility, keeps your customers constantly updated on your business, saves you time and money regarding getting the word out about your products and services and is known to increase sales. It is also a great platform for showcasing your products and services and posting client testimonials.

A business’ perception is its product. Consumers will often choose a more expensive product or the comparable product/service that happens to have better packaging or visuals based on the perceived value. In fact, a business’ website has just a few precious seconds to grab a visitor’s attention and ensure that it can deliver on the products and/or services they are looking for. And if you still don’t believe you have a product or service that can be sold on a website, keep in mind that even houses are sold online these days.