The year’s end is just around the corner, but before we close the lid on what we can all agree has been a pretty dismal 2020, there’s still one more torture we’ve yet to endure — the final nail in 2020’s proverbial coffin. We are, of course, talking about the dreaded Why you need a new website in 2021 articles ready to spam your inbox like a torrent of abuse.

You know exactly what we’re talking about; telling you that your bloated, ugly website offends every single one of next year’s delicate sensibilities; telling you for the fifth time you need a mobile-friendly website and that nobody digs gradients anymore. Blah blah blah conversion. Blah blah blah load speeds.

We get it, they’re annoying. But there’s certainly something to be said for making sure your online presence is on point, especially given the current state of things. Businesses in every sector have seen a dramatic shake-up over the past few months. But rather than waiting until next year, thousands are already accelerating their digital transformation to adjust to the ‘new normal’.

For a long while now, high street shoppers have been steadily shifting online, with the recent pandemic only making that a more permanent thing. Even with stores finally open again, the impact is noticeable, as online retail sales increased in August and in-store sales continued to plummet (source. econsultancy).

According to Growth Accelerator, more than 85,000 businesses in the UK have recently joined the online marketplace. Predictably, many of these are businesses in sectors that have historically dominated the ecommerce space, such as Fashion and Apparel (8,665), but the crisis has seen some less likely companies go online also. These include Manufacturing (7,129), Agriculture and Industrial Food Production (3,767) and Business Support Services (3,737).

In short, it’s not just traditional B2C companies increasing their online presence. Plenty of B2B organisations are also selling direct to customers for the first time, launching new websites with ecommerce, payment and customer-service facilities.

This is something we touched upon a few years ago when we spoke about the different ways B2B marketing should take inspiration from B2C, especially when it comes to embracing digital technologies. You can read the full article here, but the long and short of it is this — B2B marketing is a lot closer to B2C marketing than you may think. Now it looks as though current events are closing that gap even further as consumers on both sides move more and more online, whether out of choice or necessity. In fact, 72% of B2B buyers now expect the same experience on a B2B site as they would get on a consumer website (source. Internet Retailing).

Okay, so let’s circle back to where we started: Your website. Do you need a new one? And if so, is now really the best time?

With so much uncertainty going on at the moment, a new website may appear on the surface to be a non-essential investment. On the other hand, making sure you’re putting out all the right signals is crucial right now, instilling trust and faith in customers who are willing to start buying again as the economy slowly recovers. The effectiveness of your website will play a significant role in that effort.

If your existing site isn’t equipped to accommodate the needs of your business and customers going forward, then the answer is quite simple. If, however, you’re really not sure, then perhaps it’s time to take a step back and look at your website with a fresh perspective.

Regardless of where you currently stand, your website will be integral to success in the online marketplace — now and as we progress further into the ‘new normal’.

Thinking about a new website?

 Get in touch to find out more.