Before the internet, businesses conducted commerce through “traditional” channels. If you want to listen to music, you go to a physical record store for it.

Looking for a book? Scroll down the aisles and you might find the one you’re seeking.

In case your home has pipe problems, you’re gonna flip the yellow pages (a lot of young kids can’t get this) to call a plumber near you.

Do you need to spread the news to the town about your new business? Well, you can print ads, rent a billboard space or get a radio advertising. Bring a dozen of business cards in your pocket as well.

These long practices of doing commerce in our society stood for decades until the internet stepped in. The internet revolutionizes how we do our trade, search for information, and connect to people.

One remarkable feat that the internet has graced the modern civilization is how we share our business with the world. With a wide opening to have our own virtual real estate, everyone has the chance to show the world who you are and what you offer.

How can you have your own space on the internet? Build a website.

But, what’s a website?

At the early start of the internet, early adapters understand the power it harness. Developers are pitching businesses of all sizes on this early opportunity to scale.

Addressing the common question among entrepreneurs: “What’s a website?“, I can only imagine their eyebrows curl into confusion as they hear the newest tech word the first time.

A website is a collection of online pages containing various information. Depending on the purpose of the website, this information could be about yourself, recent news, a company, or an organization.

Since any person, group, institution or organization can build a website, you can see a variety of information on the internet depending on what you’re looking for or your current interest.

Now, considering you have a business, a website can be like your storefront, but digital. It’s like your business brochure on the internet.

If you have a website, you can present information about your business and what you offer. Because you can access a website almost everywhere, this can immensely spread your business not only in your city, but to your state, country and to the whole world.

Why do I need a website?

Skeptics in the early days of the internet will definitely look away on the idea of a website. It was a natural fear of the unknown.

Businesses decades ago didn’t see any benefit of having one. They believe that it’s just a passing fad as the advertising medium of print and tv are still strong contenders for catching the market. The application for growing sales and reaching out to potential customers was still unheard.

Fast forward, “search engine“ was developed. It helped organize the world’s information and made it accessible to everyone. Search engine users have grown exponentially over the years. Today, according to MonsterInsights, there are over 8.5 billion searches people make in one day.

So, when a user’s search “best steak near me“, a restaurant owner hopes his website would appear on the user’s end, leading them to their restaurant. Or, if someone searches for “dentist in Las Vegas”, a dental clinic in Las Vegas wishes they can get appointments out from that searcher.

If you’re not on the internet via a website, chances of searchers finding your business are almost zero. Nowadays, it’s an undeniable fact that people find business online.

There are more reasons your business seriously needs a website. These are:

Chance to know you better

If someone searches your business on the internet and found your website, they have instant access to what your business is. In this way, your website can show your contact information, what you offer, the story on why did you build the business and testimonials on how good you are at it.

Build credibility and trust

An openly shared information that you show on your website shows you are a genuine business. When you are honest about what you do and transparent with all the things your potential customers want to know, you build trust and credibility.

Reach more customers

Not only you can reach your potential customers near your business location, but you also get to reach potential customers from afar. By having a website, users have the chance to see you online and know that your business exists.

24/7 they can still reach you out

Once your website is up and running, it can now work on itself. Your website can gather information and even use it as a contact medium (and many other functions) every second it’s up and live. Gone are those days for telephone directories and customers walking in to your store between 9 to 6.

Is having a website a necessity?

Modern problems require modern solutions. As technology progresses, it changes on how we do things.

And the internet affects our life that it touches every corner- health, money, commerce and many other things. Right now, having a website is almost as essential as having your phone always by your side.

Website is a tool for your business to thrive and survive. In this day of age, where a lot of small and medium businesses sprung up, the competition to get everyone’s attention is a tight fight. Get yourself one and let people know that you’re real and you exist.