Hey. I have a couple of questions that will show how profitable your small business in Nigeria will be in the next 365 days.

• I want to make money from my business. Do I need a bank account?

• I run a small business. Do I need a website?

The first question is a no-brainer. You did not hesitate before thinking, “Yes!”

The second question may give you a bit of reluctance. You are not alone.

Many small businesses do not use the internet to conduct business. In fact, 86 percent of  Nigerian small businesses still don’t have a website for their company, according to a recent survey.

Why Have a Website for Small Business?

If you don’t want to grow your business or provide better customer service, I suppose you don’t need to read this article. Go back and play. This article is not for people like you.

See, building a useful website is not that expensive. You don’t have any excuse. A website for a small business is the base of ALL marketing for that business. I will show you six reasons why your small business in Nigeria needs a website.

1. Your Customers are Online

The first reason why every small business in Nigeria needs a website, even if it has only five employees or less, is because many of your potential customers are online most of the time. No matter how local your business is, almost everyone uses the internet to look for everything. Your customers are using their Smartphones and tablets to decide where to go and what to buy. If your business is not showing on Google, all those people will find other local businesses.

2. A business website makes people trust your business.

People expect to find you online, just as they used to expect to see a real physical business at their physical address. When you don’t have a business website, your customers will raise eyebrows. How will they know about you now? Must they come to your address every time they need you?

Customers expect to get many of their questions answered without calling you. Many business websites have pages with FAQ’s, recommendations, and testimonials that answer customers’ questions. A business that wants people to take it seriously gives people what they need to gain customer trust.

3. A business website gives you another marketing channel.

If you don’t have a business website in Nigeria, you will still spend all the money you should have invested in building a website to run ads. See, a business website is an automatic online presence, just like an online billboard. You have an instant way to introduce people to your products and services and another way for people to find you. You are open to several options to get your website to new eyes every day. You will do Search Engine Optimization, blogging, using social media, and online advertising.

4) A business website makes data collection/lead generation easy.

In your shop, you may need to advertise to some customers who have bought your products before. Do you ask them to write their phone number or email on paper for you? Will they agree? But how many websites have you written your emails down to get something for free? It is that easy to get people to type their email address or phone number in a box on a website, especially if they’re getting something for it. And once you have the email address, you have another way to reach your potential customer.

5) eCommerce or online buying is increasing every year.

In Nigeria, consumers spent billions on the web for retail purchases in 2019. Stores that are online like Jumia and Konga are making X2 as much as stores that limit themselves to a physical address. It is obvious that consumers want online options. Why not create that website and give them what they want?

6) All your competition is Online

Another reason to have a website for your small business in Nigeria is that if you Google search the product or service that you sell, your competitors will show up, but you are there waiting for a magic bullet to push the people to your physical store.

What’s Your Excuse for Not Being Online?

The only acceptable excuse you should have for not building a website for your business is that you are not looking for any more business.

If you actually want more business, you need a business website. A business website is now like a business card. A website serves as a digital business card, provides searchers with information about your business and what you can do for them.