Why propane marketers should maintain a website
I recently ran across a small business owner who questioned the value of maintaining a website.
I initially was stunned. But when I thought about it, I realized they were asking a fair and perhaps even fundamental question.
About 70 percent of small businesses in the U.S. have their own websites, but that means about 30 percent still don’t have them. Assuming rational, businesslike behavior, why?
Reaching customers without a website
Propane marketers without a website can still get noticed by customers through traditional methods like local advertising with flyers, newspapers, local radio and even door to door.
There also are digital options, such as social media, Google Business Profile, Microsoft’s Bing Places for Business, review sites and online directories. (“Let your fingers do the walking” has moved to your touch screen and keyboard.)
The cost of maintaining a website is not insignificant. The upfront cost to create a website may vary between $1,500 to $15,000. Upfront costs include reserving a domain name, website hosting expense, website design and development, content creation and security features like an SSL certificate.
Ongoing annual costs range from $850 to more than $8,500 based on the same factors. These costs are similar and include domain name renewal, website hosting and renewal, maintenance and updates (software, plug-ins, security patches, etc.), and content updates.
Having a website also creates an additional potential expense for propane marketers who elect to engage in search engine optimization, paid social media marketing, and display and keyword advertising. These costs may range from as little as hundreds of dollars a year to over $5,000, depending on your appetite for advertising.
The bottom line is that creating and maintaining a website is not a trivial expense and requires small propane marketers with limited resources to invest time and effort in addition to the financial investment. So, is it worth it?
Have a website anyway
I believe that the benefits of creating and maintaining a website outweigh the upfront and ongoing costs of a website. These benefits include:
Credibility and trust: Well-designed websites with rich content are an opportunity for propane marketers to reflect the professionalism and expertise of their business and their team. It’s difficult to establish this level of credibility with something like a digital phone book listing, which limits the scope of your content and, as a result, your brand identity.
Control and customization: You can create a customized experience that aligns directly with your business goals and your target customer’s goals.
Enhanced customer experience: Businesses with websites that allow customers to quickly find information, make purchases and contact you may have higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. And unlike the propane marketer without a website, your business can be “open” 24/7 even when your physical location is closed. Around 45 percent of consumers say the ability to shop at any time is a benefit of online shopping. Almost 40 percent of our online will-call orders are placed outside of our normal business hours.
Data collection and analysis: Tools like Google Analytics enable comprehensive data collection and analysis. With information such as visitor behavior, customer preferences and basic demographic data, you can identify and refine your market strategies and maybe even your service and product offerings. Digital phone books and basic listings cannot offer this information.
Competitive advantage: Websites offer a fundamental advantage over propane marketers without them: Propane marketers with websites can compete in the social media and digital listing arena. And unlike propane marketers without websites, they have the advantage of using links in social media and digital listings to direct prospective customers to their websites.
There are a lot of good reasons to create and maintain a website in today’s digital landscape. Traditional print media, radio, door to door, digital phone books and social media all have their place. However, I do not believe they can match the comprehensive benefits of a professional, well-maintained website.
Christopher Caywood is a co-owner of Caywood Propane Gas Inc. Contact him at chris@caywoodpropane.com.