Let's face it - it's 2017 and we are living in a world where people say "Google It" throughout their daily lives.

Ray Valladares • January 29, 2017

Let's face it - it's 2017 and we are living in a world where people say "Google It" throughout their daily lives.

The term has become synonymous with searching for something online, from any device at anytime of the day, from wherever they are; at home, at work, on the job site, stuck in traffic, anywhere. In fact, I'm certain you know exactly what I mean. If you don't have a website, prospective customers and consumers will make a decision to dismiss you right from the start. They believe your business doesn't reflect the kind of company they want to do business with or spend their hard earned money at. It is this very reason you're missing out and your competition is beating you every day that your business doesn't have a website.

With this in mind, consider these five reasons why having a website is so important.

1. Your Customers Expect It.
If this was the only reason on the list, I think it would be enough. Consumers and future customers expect businesses to offer online content about who they are, what they do and how long they have been doing business, and most of them want to go straight to the business website for that information. They're not going to an ad in a free magazine, they're not going to social media or to Foursquare, they want to go to your website for your information.

2. It Provides Social Proof.
Ninety percent of consumers claim that online reviews influence their buying decisions.

You could rely on Facebook, Google, Yelp, and other review sites to provide insights into your small business reviews for your brand, OR you can kill two birds with one stone on your own website.

Potential customers are searching for your business online and including customer testimonials on your own website is a great way to make a first impression.

3. You're In Control.
Everyone knows that we cannot control what others say about us on social media, but we can have a significant influence on public perception by creating our own personal story through a business website.

​A company blog helps business owners continue to bring their message, mission, and personality to the forefront of their target market way faster than any print advertisement.

Plus, future customers can take action immediately on your website, such as calling your business phone, completing a service application, sharing on social media and signing up for special offers only available through your email channel. Try to make all that happen in a tiny black and white ad!

4. Your Competitors All Have Business Websites.

Consumers consistently start their decision process with research and recommendations from friends, family, colleagues and social network connections.

Studies have shown that once a potential customer has an idea of what they need or want, they go online and start researching. In fact 72 percent of them will search online to find information related to services, products, reviews, and testimonials, according to a recent report.

Basically, if you’re not keeping up and staying competitive with your local competition, you’re giving the keys to success to another small business owner.

5. Showcase Your Products And Services.

Products, services, staff, service forms, and so much more can be displayed or outlined in detail with beautiful images for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can provide short video tutorials or easy to follow step by step downloadable PDF instructions to give customers every reason to do business with you and no reason to go anywhere elsewhere.

Need help getting started with a website for your small business?

If you haven’t created a website for your small business no worries, contact us now for your free consultation and together we will make and manage an affordable website that fits your needs.

March Dates for Social Media

By Ray Valladares • March 2, 2020
March Dates for Social Media Searching for some idea's to fill your automated Social Pilot Calendar ? No problem, we've got you covered. From National Employee Appreciation Day to the First Day of Spring, here are seven dates in March to help your social media campaigns.

Take Control of Your Social Media

By Ray Valladares • March 1, 2020
Social Media Scheduling for Posting Strategically Plan the work and work the plan! We've practiced our motto since early on in our professional careers and continue to do so today while managing our small business. We believe in developing a cost effective strategy that not only saves you time, but rewards you with valuable and insightful data. Scheduling your social media posts will significantly Make A Difference in your business and personal life. Your time is valuable so let's get right into my 4 Top reasons why we Use and Recommend Social Pilot . Clear View of Your Schedule; easily schedule and edit posts to Facebook, Google My Business, and many other sites from ONE calendar! No more jumping between sites to post your content.

TLS Update

By Ray Valladares • February 23, 2020
The Amazon Web Services that we are using for our client websites have been updated to the latest TLS technologies to keep our customers’ websites fast, secure and modern. Website visitors will now be connecting to the website using TLS 1.3. This improved protocol speeds up the time it takes to connect to the website through a secure connection. If you aren't familiar, TLS stands for Transport Layer Security, which was first released as TLS 1.0 in 1999 and since then, TLS has been the standard of what’s used on the web. TLS 1.3 is a step forward and is the first major industry improvement in over 10 years (TLS 1.2 was released in August 2008). This update is just one of several improvements scheduled for 2020. If your small business is considering updating your website, reach out and contact us , we'd love to hear from you and learn about your business.