When considering the digital part of your business the first thing you will probably think of is your brand’s website, or lack of. A great responsive website is the most tangible digital asset a brand can have whether your business model is B2B or D2C, and if you offer ecommerce or have a more traditional bricks and mortar set up. Two of the most common questions we receive from clients are:

1. Do we need a website?
2. Should we invest in a new website?

The answer to question one is easy: yes, you definitely do – 86% of UK adults (aka your potential customers) use the Internet daily. Our answer to question two depends on your current website: is it a responsive website? A responsive website automatically adjusts the webpage content being displayed to the device, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone, which the user is browsing with. Today every website should offer an intuitive user experience to each user on every device. If your brand’s website isn’t responsive then we recommend you invest in a shiny new one to create a ‘wow’ first impression with your customers and, provide a great user experience with all users.

Below are five reasons every brand and small business should have a responsive website:

1. You’re missing out on mobile and tablet customers
Depending on your industry 25-75% of traffic to your website will be via a mobile device, that’s a huge pool of potential customers wanting to know more about your brand. If you invest most of your resources into your social media channels your traffic will be weighted to mobile and smartphones. If your website doesn’t work for these users, they’ll find a brand website that does in just a few more clicks.

2. Without a website your business is not easily discoverable to customers
Users searching for your brand name or your products/services locally and/or nationally will not find you in a search engine – 77% of UK adults use the Internet to find information about goods and services*. Google is arguably most people’s best friend so if you’re not on Google how are potential customers going to find you? Google loves responsive websites and lists them higher in organic search rankings too giving your brand more exposure.

3. You’re creating a negative impression of your brand
We’ve all had negative experiences trying to make a purchase on or even browse a website via our smartphone, many of us get frustrated and leave after a few seconds. Having to pinch and zoom to read text, buttons not working, and endless scrolling are just a few of the common bugbears from bad design and UX (user experience). Don’t be that kind of website! Treat your website like your shop window and create a first impression that wows on all devices. Engage users instantly and help them choose you over the competition. Impressing the digital savvy consumer of today is tough but get it right with a fantastic browsing experience on each of their devices and you may have a loyal customer for many years.

4. Your competitors may not have one… yet!
Stand out from the crowd and give potential customers another reason to choose you. If your competitors already have one don’t stand out for the wrong reason, create your own and do it better.

5. It’s not as hard or expensive as you think
Responsive websites are easy for talented designers and developers to create and build. We offer end-to-end responsive website packages which ensure your brand has a website that is fit for purpose to deliver your business goals, easy to update and delivers a ‘wow’ first impression. Our great value service includes project management, content planning, copywriting, design and development – we always adopt a collaborative approach and welcome your team to be involved at every key stage. We charge a clear one-off fee which varies depending upon the brief and once your website is live there are no on-going maintenance fees.

If it doesn’t have one your brand needs a responsive website. What next? Whether you have a dated website that you have haven’t refreshed in years or you’ve never had one, we’d love to help you create the website your brand and your customers deserve. Please email us info@hidigital.co.uk or get in touch to schedule a free consultation with us.

Hi Digital are a boutique, digital agency dedicated to helping start-ups and small businesses to fulfil their goals, with a winning digital presence and effective use of digital marketing. Find out more about what we do and how we can help your unique brand.