Does Your Business Need a Website? 3 Pros and Cons

It’s surreal to think that two decades ago, a website was seen as a niche asset for a company to have- something quirky, a fad that wouldn’t last. Fast-forward to today, and observe every business rushing to create their own website in order to garner a shred of legitimacy, and obtain a slice of that sweet digital market pie. From a simple trend, websites have quickly become a necessity for any business which desires to legitimise itself in the eyes of both the public and the corporate world.

However, this begs the question- Does your business need a website? Before you rush to hire a professional web designer, or scour the internet in search of some free templates to create one yourself, here are three pros and cons to keep in mind before you take that plunge; otherwise, you might find your business stuck in a ‘web’.

Pros

There are many pros to having a website for your business, but some of the most prevalent include:

Control Over Your Online Presence
Reach a Wider Consumer Base
A Digital Archive of Your Progress

Let’s examine these in further detail:

Control over your Online Presence

A key benefit to establishing a website is that it gives you full control over your business's online presence, making your website the official, primary source regarding all the activities of your company and any promotions you offer, instantly wiping out any source of misinformation online.

Reach a Wider Consumer Base

Often the primary motivation behind any company establishing their website. From 413 million in the year 2000, almost 5 billion people today have access to the internet. Even a fraction of this traffic would drastically elevate a business’ standing in the corporate world.

Your Own Veritable Archive

The history of your company, all of your accounts, all of your activities, all that you can offer to the public, all available with the click of a button for anyone to access. In this way, websites become a crucial tool for client acquisition and customer retention, as people are drawn to businesses that have a story to tell and are open with their patrons regarding everything they do.

A hand scribbled website layout — Source: Unsplash

Cons

While numerous benefits exist to having a website for your business, there are also a few cons to be wary of, the most pressing of which include:

Expenses Pile Up Over Time
Time-Consuming
Slow Rate of Return

Let’s take a look at why this might be an issue for you:

Expenses Pile Up Over Time

A website is something that has to be regularly maintained, kept up to date, properly protected with a secure backup system, provide a smorgasbord of new features and content to retain visitors, constantly promoted through newsletters on email and blurbs on social media, and a host of other requirements and needs, which can put a significant strain on the company budget.

Extremely Time-Consuming

Do not make the mistake of thinking that a website is a one-time investment that sustains itself. They require constant dedication and active surveillance, forcing you to monitor aspects like website traffic, bugs, glitches, and other concerns which will occupy a considerable chunk of your company’s time.

Slow Rate of Return

Very, very few websites, even those established by leading businesses, hit the top of the trending page in the initial stages after their launch, and even fewer manage to sustain this popularity and retain traffic. Thousands of websites fail or succumb to stagnation within a few years (sometimes months) as their company fails to find a reason to justify its increasing expenses with so little return on the time, effort and capital invested.

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