Many companies continue to disregard the creation of an institutional website, thus missing several business and recognition opportunities. But after all, what is the importance of an institutional website? Should all companies really create one? In this article, we answer these questions and address this topic in more depth.
What is an institutional website?
It is nothing less than a web page that serves to communicate your brand. Most institutional websites have the sole purpose of communicating with the public, presenting their history, values or products. That is, the main focus is on making yourself known and not so much on making sales, at least not directly. However, there are websites that also end up incorporating a virtual store to sell products/services online – the choice is yours!
An institutional website must include relevant and useful information for the public. Data such as the company’s telephone number or email must be easily found and promotions or news must be announced prominently on the home page. Thus, the goal is to provide useful information so that the public is interested in your brand, eventually leading to an increase in conversions.
What are the advantages of an institutional website?
After all, what advantages does an institutional website offer? If you still have doubts about creating this type of platform, check here the benefits you can enjoy:
- Show authority on a given topic
Especially if you have a blog, this advantage is easily achieved. By sharing relevant content and information on a topic associated with your brand, you will be showing your audience that you really know what you are talking about. Thus, it gains more credibility and provides the public with useful information.
- Allows customers to relate to the brand
The purpose of a physical or virtual store is to sell your products or services. However, the purpose of an institutional website is to provide what you can’t find in these more conversion-oriented places. Through the website you can communicate directly with your customers, provide relevant information and share little-known data.
This allows you to establish a relationship of closeness and trust with potential customers, who come to feel that they have a better understanding of your brand. It is important to make sales, but it is also essential to create this type of relationship with the public, as this is where consumer loyalty arises.
- Increased sales
The more the customer identifies with your brand, the more likely they are to buy your products/services, not only occasionally, but also continuously. Creating an appealing, functional, organized and useful website can then be seen as an effective marketing strategy.
- You can get to know your target audience better
Thanks to Google Analytics you will be able to access very useful information about the people who visit your website. Data such as gender, age, nationality and interests of visitors are easily obtained. Thus, you will be able to get to know better the people who are really interested in your products/services and create strategies to address this audience.
Which pages should you include on an institutional website?
It is important to think about the most suitable content to put on your website. There are absolutely essential pages that you should not ignore, including:
- About Us
Before buying a product, the customer likes to get to know the brand first. Who are the founders? What are the company’s values? What’s your message? This is the right place to share information that customers wouldn’t normally find in a physical or virtual store. Talk about the process of creating your company, introduce your team and talk about its mission and vision.
- Products and services
If someone researched and entered your site, it is because they are interested in your products or services. Therefore, it is essential to present them and, more importantly, be transparent in the data you provide. Make sure you share descriptions that are truthful, relevant and useful to your target audience.
For example, if you sell clothing items, let them know about the available fabrics, sizes and models. In addition, it is important to present the final price from the beginning and not add values when the customer arrives at the time of payment. These kinds of surprises are not well received by the public.
- Feedback
We all know that we buy a product or service more quickly when we see that there are several positive testimonials from past customers. Social proof is one of the most important factors when it comes to increasing your sales.
So gather feedback from former customers and present them on a page specially dedicated for this purpose. As soon as the purchase intention arises, you will see that this will be the first page visited by the potential customer.
- Questions and answers
Your website should be a place capable of answering all questions from the public. Therefore, it is essential to create a page exclusively dedicated to the most common customer questions with the appropriate answers. You can include here information such as order delivery time or additional costs related to postage.
- Blog
Today, blogs are one of the most effective forms of marketing. In this space, you can present yourself as an authority figure and write content related to the area in which the company is located. For example, if you are a technology company, you might want to write articles related to new applications of interest or the future of technology. By publishing this type of content, you can show your audience that you really understand the subject at hand, providing value and creating credibility.
Thus, an institutional website emerges as a great way to present your company to the public, to gain recognition, credibility and to increase your sales!
