Adds validity
Nowadays people will often want to visit a website before going to an actual business. Your business website acts as a virtual store front for your actual shop. By providing a website you are enabling people to scope you out before actually visiting. You can provide directions, your address, opening hours and contact information. This is all useful information that establishes you as a valid business.
Advertising
In many cases a free website is an extension of a business’ advertising policy. Your website gives you a fantastic opportunity to convey your shop and show it off at its best. It is much more in depth than a print advertisement, or even a television one. The great thing about a website is that it allows people to browse at their own leisure, looking at the specific things that they are interested in. If you are a clothing shop that sells both men’s and women’s clothing then you can have different sections of your website that will be targeted towards each gender. You might include striking pictures of your clothes, shown off on beautiful models. You could include information about the different clothing ranges that you have. You could launch new clothing lines and include testimonials. If you are a fair-trade or ethical company you could include information about that. This is all useful information for people to have to help them make their choices.
eCommerce
eCommerce is big business. An ecommerce website can transform a failing business into a successful one. As people’s lives get busier many now do all of their shopping online. This is the perfect market for your clothes shop to tap into. Ecommerce provides a level of ease that people are becoming more and more accustomed to. People will be able to buy from your shop online. They may be looking for a gift for someone and want to have it sent directly to them by ordering through your free website. Or there may be people who tried on an item of clothing in your shop who didn’t buy it and then regret it later. By integrating ecommerce into your website you’re enabling those people to go back and buy it in their own home. And then there’s those all important impulse buys. People don’t only buy impulsively in a shop, they’ll also do it from their desk!
Promotions, Offers and Vouchers
A promotion or offer can be a great way to get people in through your shop door. Many websites will have vouchers that customers can download to use in store. This works on two levels. Firstly, word of mouth it drives people to your website and promotes your business. Secondly, it increases the footfall through your door. And by providing vouchers through your website you are getting rid of any printing costs that you would normally have to incur through such a scheme yourself!
Reaching out
A free website can be a great tool for customers to get to know businesses. This can be particularly useful for a small business. You could include information about yourself and about the history of your business. If you do clothing design yourself you could include information about your design inspirations and your design background, and show your work off using a digital portfolio. It’s also an opportunity to show of photographs and videos from any fashion shows or photoshoots that your clothing has featured in.
Whether you create a web page for free, build a Flash website or use a free business template, your website should be an integral part of your business in the future.
