How a Website Empowers Word-of-Mouth Marketing?

The bottom line: A useful cost-effective website makes customers more willing to recommend, and becomes a generator of word-to-mouth marketing

Word-of-Mouth Marketing illustration

Word-of-mouth marketing is the major explanation by small business owners for not having a website. What are they missing?

A survey from Australia brings an amazing information: Half of the small businesses do not have a website. Yes, the survey took place in 2018. The survey was quoted in smartcompany.com.au.

You probably can guess the main excuse: “most of my new clients come from word-of-mouth marketing”. Actually, 76% of the business owners that participated in the survey said that. Which means half of the business owners that do have a website might be thinking they don’t really need it.

Lets give them some reasons to think again:

1. A website empowers word-of-mouth marketing

A website alone can not make a business. Word-of-mouth marketing is best, always been. No marketer will argue with these two statements. But almost every marketer knows a website empowers word-of-mouth marketing:

  • When a potential customer gets more than one recommendation, a website can make the difference.
  • When a potential customer gets the recommendation from a less intimate source, and checks before contacting. Not all word-of-mouth sources have the same trust.
  • When the potential customer uses the website before contacting (doing his\hers homework) and makes the sale process shorter and easier.
  • When a website is strengthening the recommendation and paves the road to better prices.

2. The little difference: What increase in sales will make you happy?

If word-of-mouth marketing is responsible for most of the new sales, it means that some of the new sales come from other channels.

If a website can increase sales by 3-5%, isn’t it worth it?

3. A website in not only for new sales. Think customer service

Many marketers will say that the real importance of a website is for customer service and support. A good informative and practical website that can help customers get answers and better understand the products or services the paid for is beneficial in 3 ways:

  • Keeps existing customers closer and helps them avoid the temptation of competitors.
  • Makes existing customers more open to new offers – up-sale, cross-sale. A website can increase customer value.
  • Cuts customer service costs.

Well, a good and useful website makes existing customers happy and more willing to recommend. i.e., a website is a generator of word-of-mouth marketing.


Yes, a website should be cost-effective. Keep your budget tight; Start with a one-pager and grow step-by-step, little-by-little, just don’t leave your customers – existing and potentials – without it.

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