The First On Your Block?

There are some industries in which many or even most companies don’t have websites. Antique stores. Nail salons. CPAs. Caterers. Private medical practices. Contractors. Dance studios. Independent mechanics. If you’re in one of these industries, you may be wondering whether it’s time — especially in light of the pandemic — to get a website.

A pre-pandemic survey found that more than one third of small businesses still don’t have a website. 27% of these businesses have as their excuse a belief that websites just aren’t relevant in their industries. Are they right?

Are your competitors doing without websites?

If your competitors don’t have websites, it’s easy to assume that it’s because websites aren’t useful in your profession.

After all, how many people who want to get their nails done actually look for a nail salon on Google?

In my neck of the woods, 1,900 a month. Plus hundreds more looking for “nails near me,” “nail shop,” “pedicure near me,” “manicure near me,” “nail places near me,” and more.

Local nail salons (according to interviews conducted in the area) had two things to say about their business: first, they don’t need websites and second, there used to be a lot more nail places but many of them have gone out of business.

Would a couple thousand potential new clients a month make a difference, do you suppose?

Hundreds of people look for pediatricians, laser hair removal, orthodontists, and similar services in my neighborhood.

So what if you were the first nail salon in my region to have a website? What if you were the first CPA to have a current, professionally built website? What if you were the dance studio with the best website?

Do you seriously think that those companies wouldn’t have an advantage?

Is it time to step up?

With coronavirus affecting too many small businesses, online connections are becoming essential, even if they don’t quickly replace the income of a physical location. The Washington Post shared a number of examples of small businesses that got pushed into digital marketing by the pandemic. Most plan to continue their online efforts after the pandemic, but many business owners still feel that a website isn’t as good as their physical location. 

If you’re still reading this, then you may be one of those business owners. You know that veterinarians (or whatever it might be) in your town mostly don’t bother with websites, but you know that potential customers are relying on the internet now.

Sign up at Google Ads to get free access to the Google Ads Keyword Suggestions Tool. Type in the name of your field and your town or service area. You’ll get a chart that looks like this:

You’ll see the searches for the main keyword you typed in, plus a list of other terms people are looking for in your neighborhood. You will see the level of competition for the terms, and the  number of searches for the terms each month. Add up all those searches and you’ll probably see that having a website would make a big difference for you.

Set a budget for a website. There is a web firm or DIY option for absolutely every budget. Start now, and you could have your website up and running in time to do you some good in the all-important fourth quarter.

If you decide to take action, we can help you. Call 479.966.9761 and we’ll be happy to talk with you.