Having a Facebook page and a website helps a company increase sales and be more highly regarded by customers. But there are also problems
For small and medium-sized Italian companies, the relationship with technology and the Internet has always been quite complicated. According to the latest data provided by Istat, only 71% of SMEs (companies with between 10 and 250 employees) have a website or an online page.
A figure that is lower than in other European countries and that affects the competitiveness of Italian companies. Having a website allows small and medium-sized companies to have an online contact point with their customers. Very often companies do not create a website because of the high costs of creation and management and the lack of internal staff able to manage the portal. A choice that turns out to be strongly penalizing, from several points of view: a website is an interactive showcase that allows you to reach tens of thousands of people and interact directly with them. Not to be underestimated, then, the local impact that a website can have: by adopting local SEO strategies it is possible to position your business in the first positions for geo-localized searches, thus being able to gain new customers who live in our vicinity.
Why an SME must have a website
There are three most important reasons for a company to create a website: positioning on search engines, engaging new customers and company reputation.
Let’s start with the first one. Without good search engine positioning, it is impossible for users to find the company when they perform a particular search on Google or Bing. In particular, for small and medium-sized businesses it is necessary to invest in Local SEO, that is, optimizing the website for a specific geographical area. In this way, when a user performs a search such as “best hairdresser in Rome”, will find in the first positions your company and through the website can discover the treatments offered. According to research conducted by Moz, an online platform specializing in SEO strategies, the main ranking factors for a company are all related to the website. Therefore, not having a website makes it impossible for the company to engage new customers.
Users do not consider small and medium-sized businesses that do not have a website safe. For the reputation of a company, even a very small one, a website is crucial. It allows them to showcase their products and services offered and at the same time build trust with the prospective customer.