Every business is looking for more customers, more online visibility and a steady stream of enquiries. Nowadays a lot of Indian companies are making use of websites like Justdial and IndiaMART for reaching out to a potential customer. These platforms can make businesses visible and attract enquiries from individuals looking for them. But there's another option that is important: creating your own business website.
A business website lets you highlight your products, describe your services, share beneficial content and establish a direct line of communication to prospective customers. It can be used alongside search engine optimization (SEO) to draw in users looking at Google. Then, it is better to choose Justdial or IndiaMART or your website?
Let's look at their advantages, disadvantages and business uses and decide which is the better one.
1. What Is Justdial?
Justdial is a local search and business discovery website that enables users to discover businesses, products and services in various cities in India.
For instance, a person looking for website development service provider in Delhi, turns up local directories along with search listings.
Benefits of Justdial
- Increases visibility of businesses to people looking for local businesses.
- Offers an opportunity to display business data.
- Is able to make enquiries from potential customers.
- Assists users to find businesses by category and location.
Limitations of Depending Only on Justdial
The features, policies and listing arrangements of Justdial will determine your business presence. Your business can also be listed among the other providers. If you rely on a single directory for all of your customer acquisition, price fluctuations, visibility or platform policies may impact your inquiries.
The smarter way: Take advantage of Justdial as a customer acquisition method and enhance your own website and online reputation.
2. What Is IndiaMART?
IndiaMART is a B2B platform that brings buyers and Manufacturers, Wholesalers, Suppliers and other businesses together.
It is especially applicable to companies that sell industrial products, machinery, raw materials, textiles, packaging goods, and wholesale goods.
For instance, if you are selling industrial equipment, you can use IndiaMART to display your products and reach out to the buyers.
Benefits of IndiaMART
- Allows a marketplace to be created and for buyers to search for products.
- Supplies product information to help suppliers.
- Can develop the enquiries from businesses seeking suppliers.
- Supports searching of products in various fields.
Limitations of Depending Only on IndiaMART
The features and business models of the marketplace are also a part of your visibility and customer interactions. The buyer can research some suppliers before he/she buys. So, just because you get an inquiry, does not mean a sale is imminent. Having their own website is a great way for companies to highlight product specifications, certifications, case studies, company information and contact options.
The better option: Connect with buyers on the marketplace platform of IndiaMART while developing a website that will help in developing your brand and acquiring customers in the long term.
3. Justdial vs IndiaMART vs Your Own Website
Each option serves a different purpose. The right choice depends on your industry, target audience and business goals.
| Feature | Justdial | IndiaMART | Your Own Website |
| Main purpose | Local business discovery | B2B product discovery | Build your own online presence |
| Suitable audience | Local customers and service seekers | Business buyers and product purchasers | Local, national and international customers |
| Business branding | Within the platform's format | Within the marketplace's format | Greater design and branding control |
| Product presentation | Depends on listing features | Marketplace product catalogue | Custom product pages and catalogues |
| SEO control | Limited to platform features | Limited to marketplace features | Control over your website's SEO |
| Customer enquiries | Through platform features | Through marketplace features | Through forms, calls, email and other channels |
| Content publishing | Platform-dependent | Platform-dependent | Publish blogs, guides and case studies |
| Long-term digital asset | Platform listing | Marketplace presence | Website on your own domain |
Your own website provides you with a better control of your content and brand image. It still takes development, maintenance, marketing and SEO efforts to bring in the relevant users, though.
4. Why Should Your Business Have Its Own Website?
A professional business website is NOT just an online brochure. Can be a valuable addition to your sales and marketing strategy.
Here are 5 reasons to invest in your own website.
4.1 Build Your Own Brand Identity
Your business is visible when it comes to a third party platform, it's visible within that platform's design and structure.
Having your own website gives you the freedom to select your own design, messaging, colours, images and content that is relevant to your business.
You can also display your experience, your product range, your customer feedback, your certifications and your projects completed.
It enables visitors to your site to see the value and uniqueness of your business.
4.2 Generate Enquiries Through Google SEO
SEO increases your website's visibility for targeted keywords.
For instance, a manufacturer may consider keywords like:
- Industrial Equipment Manufacturer in India
- Textile Machinery Supplier
- Wholesale Packaging Material Supplier
- Custom Manufacturing Company
- B2B Product Supplier in India
The better you can convert these relevant and useful pages for your products and services the more likely it is that people will turn to the internet when they're looking for them.
Please note: Rankings are not assured as they are based on competition, site quality, search intent and other factors.
4.3 Showcase Your Products and Services in Detail
With a business website you can have separate pages for each product, service and industry.
For B2B businesses, these pages can include:
- Product specifications and technical details.
- Minimum order quantities, where applicable.
- Product images and downloadable catalogues.
- Manufacturing capabilities.
- Certifications and quality standards.
- Frequently asked questions.
- Enquiry forms and contact information.
This can assist potential customers in their decision making process before reaching out to your sales staff.
4.4 Create a Direct Enquiry Channel
Contact forms, a click-to-call button, quotations request forms and links to WhatsApp can be incorporated into your website.
These features allow interested visitors to be able to contact your business directly.
It is possible to monitor the traffic a website receives and track the number of forms completed with appropriate analytics software.
The goal is to have as seamless a business discovery to contact experience as possible.
4.5 Develop a Long-Term Marketing Asset
Your website can support multiple marketing channels, including SEO, paid advertising, social media and email marketing.
For example, an SEO blog can attract visitors who are researching a product or service. Those visitors can explore relevant service pages and submit an enquiry if your offering matches their needs.
Unlike relying exclusively on one third-party platform, you can develop your own website content and improve it over time.
4.5 Develop a Long-Term Marketing Asset
You can use a variety of marketing channels like SEO, paid advertising, social media and email marketing on your website.
For instance, if you are running a blog about SEO, you will be able to gain visitors who are looking into a product or service. Among those visitors, those who are interested in the services you provide can browse through the relevant service pages and ask for an enquiry if they are interested in your services.
As opposed to depending only on one third party platform, you can build your website content, and enhance it over time.
5. Which Option Is Better for Manufacturers and Wholesalers?
Manufacturers, wholesalers and industrial suppliers are left with a choice, depending on their product and customer base, in determining who to locate as suppliers.
IndiaMART may be useful when:
- You are looking for customers who are actively looking for a B2B marketplace.
- You are selling products that are typically bought in suppliers directories.
- You are interested in testing queries that are generated through your marketplaces.
Your own website may be useful when:
- You want to create a name that is known throughout the business.
- Detailed product and technical pages are required.
- You're looking to grab Google traffic that's related to your product.
- You have manufacturing abilities and certifications to highlight.
- You want to centralise requests from various marketing channels.
Justdial may be useful when:
- Your business caters for local customers.
- Your service information is normally sought by the customer by place or city.
- Enquiries from local listings are directed to your category.
Don't just take it for granted that one platform is always superior – tally the number of relevant inquiries each channel receives and the number that convert to paying customers.
6. How to Get Direct Business Leads Through Your Website
Step 1: Create Relevant Service and Product Pages
Develop dedicated pages for your main products, services and target industries.
If customers require different levels of information to make buying decisions, don't have all products and services on a single generic page.
Step 2: Target Relevant Keywords
Go out and do research around the phrases your potential clients use when searching for your product/services.
Take care to include relevant keywords fairly in page titles, page headings, descriptions and beneficial content on your website.
Step 3: Submit SEO Blogs to Google News.
Create articles to respond to your customers' queries.
For instance, the machinery supplier might create a guide to choosing industrial machinery for a specific application.
Connect these articles to relevant product pages in order to guide readers on the next steps.
Step 4: Enhance Local and Business Visibility:
For businesses that operate in a specific area, keep up-to-date business data and apply the right local SEO strategies.
A Google Business Profile can also be useful to help qualifying businesses show up in local searches.
Step 5: Make Enquiries Easy
Make sure your website is mobile friendly and offers contact details.
Have simple forms and describe to customers of what they can expect when they make an enquiry.
Step 6: Measure Results
Monitor organic traffic, relevant keyword rankings, enquiry submissions and conversions.
Apply this knowledge to pinpoint pages and marketing avenues that offer the best business opportunities.
7. Why Choose IT Web Future for Website Development and SEO?
Creating a website is a critical step in the process of creating a digital presence of your own. Your site, though, should also be designed to make the services you provide easy to understand and promote your marketing objectives.
IT Web Future offers web development and digital marketing services to enhance firms' web presence.
Depending on your requirements, a business website project can include:
- Expert website design and web development.
- Creating product and service pages.
- Mobile-friendly website structure.
- On page SEO or Technical SEO.
- Researching keywords and creating content ideas.
- Site speed and enquiry logging.
As a manufacturer, wholesaler, service provider or small business owner, the first step to a proper website strategy is to know your target audience and what you want to achieve.
Please contact the IT Web Future team via the Contact Us page with your needs.
8. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Would you prefer to use Justdial versus your own website?
Justdial can help you reach your clients via its platform. Your own website gives you greater control over your branding, content and website SEO. Many companies can be benefited with either one or both of them.
Q2. Will IndiaMART suffice for a manufacturing company?
While IndiaMART can be helpful in receiving B2B enquiries, it is important to note that having only one source of enquiry might restrict your customer acquisition options. There is a website that you can dedicate that will display your products and also your manufacturing capability that will help you with Google SEO.
Q3. Is it possible to get leads to my website without paying for them?
Yes, it is possible to get organic traffic by optimizing a website and providing relevant content that brings in visitors without paying for a listing in a third-party directory. But SEO is a continuous process and the outcome is not predictable.
Q4. What is the price of developing a business website in India?
The size, design, functions of the website and its product catalogue, and other requirements will all influence the cost. A simple business site will cost less than a sophisticated B2B ecommerce site.
Q5. How many months does it take to get enquiries from SEO?
The time frame for SEO can differ from one to the other and depends on the competition, the condition of the website, the condition of the web content and the keywords aimed at. It's important to think of it as a long-term marketing investment, not a sure influx of inquiries.
Q6. If I give up on Justdial and IndiaMART, should I stop using them altogether?
Not necessarily. If these platforms provide you with profitable enquiries, you can proceed to utilize them. The aim is to create more avenues for your business not to be dependent on one platform alone.
Conclusion
Justdial, IndiaMART and your own website each serve different purposes.
Justdial can assist local users to find businesses and IndiaMART can enable businesses to reach out B2B buyers. Your own website affords you more control of your brand, your content and your online marketing strategy. Many companies find it most economical to leverage relevant marketplaces, yet build a website that will serve them well in the long run by building a strong SEO program and providing valuable content and direct enquiries. Don't rely on just one platform for all of your customer acquisition. Develop your own web identity and generate additional opportunities for attracting customers.
Are you looking to further your education? Call IT Web Future to chat about your website development and SEO needs.