Co-Founder Taliferro
Your Website Should Be More Than a Digital Business Card
If your website is just a digital business card, it's an expense—plain and simple. I see it all the time: companies pouring resources into flashy websites that do nothing but talk about who they are, what they do, and how great they think they are. But here's the truth—if your website isn't actively working to increase your revenue, you're doing it wrong.
A website is more than just a showcase of your business. It should be your most powerful tool for engaging customers, facilitating transactions, and delivering real value. If your website isn't doing these things, then you're leaving money on the table. Worse, you're wasting your own time and your customers' time by not giving them a way to engage with your business meaningfully.
What's the Purpose of Your Website?
Too many businesses treat their websites like an online brochure—just a way to tell the world they exist. But here's the thing: your website should be doing much more than that. It should be working for you 24/7, even when you're not. The purpose of a website is to increase revenue, not just to talk about your company. If it's not feeding customers into your backend systems—whether that's an e-commerce platform, customer relationship management (CRM), or some other form of customer service—then it's not doing its job.
When someone lands on your website, what happens next? Are they met with walls of text about your mission statement, your founders, or your company history? Or are they met with clear, actionable steps that guide them through a customer journey that leads to a sale or conversion?
Here's the bottom line: Your website needs to be designed for them, not you. Customers don't care about your story unless it helps them in some way. They care about how your product or service solves their problem. If your website isn't focused on delivering value and engaging customers, you've turned it into an expensive, self-serving tool that doesn't actually serve your business goals.
Your Website Should Be Your Gateway to Customers
Your website is the entry point to your business. Think of it like the front door to a store. If your door is locked, hard to find, or difficult to open, no one's walking in. And in the digital world, this is even more important because your website might be the only interaction a customer ever has with your business. It should be designed to funnel people into your backend systems.
Whether you're selling products online, offering services, or just trying to collect leads, your website should be designed to feed your backend processes. This is where the magic happens. Your website collects valuable information about your customers, allows them to make transactions, and ensures they have everything they need without you or your team lifting a finger.
If your website is simply "nice to look at" but doesn't drive revenue, it's an expense. The website should have a clear purpose and design that moves customers through a sales process, whether that's buying a product, filling out a contact form, or scheduling a consultation. It needs to function as a key part of your sales machine, not just a display of your ego.
Your Website Should Work Even When You Don't
The beauty of a properly designed website is that it works for you even when you're not working. It's automating customer engagement and facilitating transactions while you're focused on other aspects of your business—or, better yet, when you're asleep.
Think about it: The internet doesn't close at 5 PM. Potential customers are searching for products, services, or answers to their problems at all hours of the day. If your website isn't designed to handle these visitors, you're missing out on business that could have been captured without any additional effort on your part.
Automation is key. Whether it's allowing customers to place orders, schedule appointments, or access your support system, your website should be a self-sustaining part of your business. It should eliminate the need for you or your staff to manually handle every interaction. When your website is designed properly, it should save you time, not cost you more of it.
It's Not About You—It's About Your Customers
Here's a harsh truth: Customers don't care about what you think makes your company special. They care about how you can solve their problem, make their life easier, or save them time. If your website is all about you, with pages filled with self-congratulatory content, you're missing the point.
The best websites are customer-focused. They are built around the needs of the customer, not the ego of the business owner. Instead of talking endlessly about your achievements, your website should quickly and clearly answer this one critical question for every visitor: "How does this help me?"
Your website isn't about showcasing how great you are; it's about demonstrating how much value you can provide to the customer. Every part of your website—from the design to the content to the user experience—should be focused on delivering value and making it easy for customers to engage with your business.
A Website That Saves Time Is a Website That Adds Value
The more value your website delivers to your customers, the more valuable it is to your business. Value isn't just about having great products or services; it's about saving your customers time, reducing friction, and making it easy for them to do business with you. A website that works efficiently is one that ensures customers can find what they need, make purchases, get support, and interact with your brand in a seamless way.
Conversely, if your website is just a self-serving platform for showcasing your business without making it easier for the customer, it becomes an expense. It costs you time, money, and effort while delivering little in return. A website should streamline processes, minimize wasted time, and drive conversions.
The Bottom Line: Your Website Needs to Drive Revenue
At the end of the day, your website isn't just an accessory—it's a vital tool for increasing your revenue. It should be the gateway that takes customers from curiosity to conversion. If your website is merely a digital business card, you're wasting its potential. It should be feeding customers into your backend, working even when you aren't, and delivering real value to your visitors.
Stop thinking of your website as a showcase for your business. Start thinking of it as a revenue-generating machine that makes your business easier to engage with, processes transactions, and adds real value for your customers. When you shift your mindset in this direction, your website stops being an expense and starts being one of your most powerful assets.