Some company presidents give "just something to serve as a business card" as one of their reasons for creating a website.
It's more like, "Well, I don't really need one, but these days it'd be embarrassing not to have a website."

Meanwhile, one of the sales pitches website production companies use on prospective clients is apparently:
"Without at least a website, banks and financial institutions will have a poor impression of you!"
I've heard this while chatting with a salesperson from a competitor (another website production company). I've also heard from clients that they were told the same thing, so it may well be used with some frequency as a sales talking point.

Incidentally, I have never once used that kind of pitch to make a sale. That's because I don't believe there's any point at all in creating a website "as a substitute for a business card."
If you don't have at least the goal of "improving your company's image among prospective and existing customers," you may as well not have one. In fact, if building a website only brings in a flood of sales calls and emails, I'd say you're better off without it.

That said, as a business owner myself, I can understand being at least somewhat swayed when told "the bank's impression of you..."
So I frankly put the question to the liaison officer (that is, the salesperson) from the bank who regularly visits our company.

Here's the (unofficial) view from a loan officer!

I originally meant it as nothing more than small talk, but being the diligent fellow he is, Mr. Igawa went and asked a senior colleague in the loan department for me.
That said, this isn't the bank's official position, so please take it as a reference only.

*The questions and answers below are quoted as-is.

Q1. From what perspective do bankers look at a company's website?

・When visiting a new prospect, we first check whether the company even has a website.
・A company with a website is seen as more trustworthy than one without.
・The business activities are easy to understand.
・Images of the products handled are posted.
・Having photos of the representative and employees is reassuring.

Rather than being about financing as such, this feels more like a simple "wouldn't it be better to do it this way?" impression (laughs).
If anything, it seems to be from the perspective of using the site as material when making sales calls.

Q2. Does having a website affect financing?

・Whether or not a company has a website is not taken into account when deciding whether to proceed (i.e., whether to approve the screening).
・When starting a new relationship, we gather as much information as possible during meetings, but if we feel something is missing, we sometimes refer to what's written on the website.
・I think companies with a well-developed company profile section come across as more trustworthy.
・If the company holds qualifications or has received awards in the past, it's preferable to have those listed.

This question gets to the heart of this article. He clearly says "not taken into account" (laughs).
If you have new initiatives or awards, listing them is apparently a plus in terms of impression.

Q3. What kind of website appeals to loan officers?

・This isn't limited to loan officers, but a company that makes an effort to build an easy-to-read website sparks interest on that basis alone.
・A site that's updated regularly is worth looking at.
・For example, it's interesting when links take you to a blog and so on.
・Companies that attract customers using social media.
・I think images and videos related to the business make things easy to understand.

Since he said "not taken into account" in Q2, the very concept of "appealing to loan officers" probably doesn't exist. I felt a bit sorry for asking such a blunt question (laughs).

Conclusion: A website is only for reference

What did you think? The overall takeaway from this article could be summed up as: "Simply having a website is largely meaningless in itself."

That said, it's surely true that a website that clearly conveys your appeal to prospective customers will make people think, "This company must be doing well," and that also leads to raising your corporate value, which is the original purpose.

After all, you should aim for an effective website, not one that's just "a substitute for a business card"!

*Last but not least, my sincere thanks to S Bank for cooperating with this article and responding so earnestly despite their busy schedule. Thank you too, Mr. Igawa!