How a website can help automate business processes

Business automation through a website: why it is no longer an option, but a necessity

Today, a website is not just an “electronic business card”, but a full-fledged participant in business processes. If a company still does not use it as an automation tool, it is not just lagging behind – it is losing money, time and customers every day. Because a competitor who has built in online payment, autofilters, CRM and autofollows is already closing the same requests faster, more accurately, with lower costs.

Businesses no longer need to wait for a manager to confirm an order. Everything can be done through the website: leave a request, receive automatic confirmation, pay, choose a delivery time. This is convenient for both the client and the team, which is freed from repetitive routine. And routine actions are exactly what automation can perform perfectly.

Airbnb has implemented an automated booking and payment system since the first versions of the site. This has allowed the platform to process millions of transactions without significantly increasing its team.

Business in numbers: how automation affects efficiency

When a company switches to automated processes, it gains several benefits at once. The first is a reduction in human errors. The second is faster application processing. The third is the ability to scale without increasing staff. The fourth is control over all data and interaction in one environment.

Here are some numbers that confirm the effect:

• According to McKinsey, automation can reduce companies’ operating costs by up to 30%.
• Salesforce claims that businesses with automated sales funnels close deals 29% faster.
• Clutch notes in 2023: 74% of small businesses that integrated automation on their websites increased repeat sales.

This is not a futuristic prediction, but the result of simple changes. And the best thing is that many of them can be implemented even on a regular WordPress site.

According to Forrester, companies that automate at least one key process on their website reduce customer request processing time by an average of 15% .

What business processes can be really automated using a website?

Automation doesn’t mean you need to create your own ERP or launch a complex platform. Often, it’s enough to properly configure your website and integrate services that have been around for a long time and work great. The main thing is to choose the ones that are right for your business.

Most often, the following processes are automated through the site:

• Receiving and processing orders.
• Distribution of leads and applications by categories.
• Invoicing and accepting online payments.
• Sending automatic emails and SMS.
• Synchronization with CRM.
• Formation of statistics on orders and customers.

This is not a complete list, but it can significantly reduce the workload on the team. From hundreds of calls and manual data copying to clear scripts where everything is reduced to a few clicks.

After launching a website with an automated online booking system, Barbershop Johnny’s Chop Shop in London reduced no-shows by 35% and increased customer returns by 22%.

Website as a channel for accepting orders

An online form with a few fields may seem like a small thing, but it is often the first step to automation. After clicking the “Send” button, the customer request automatically goes to the CRM, the employee receives a notification, and the customer receives a confirmation email. Without a single call. Without Excel.

This approach is suitable for both small stores and more complex B2B products. For example, a logistics company can accept requests for shipping calculations with all parameters through a website – and immediately calculate the cost via the shipping service API.

CRM integration and lead processing

If applications are not collected in a single database, they are lost. A CRM system paired with a website solves this problem. Applications automatically enter the sales funnel. The manager sees which page the request was made from, which service was chosen, which traffic channel brought the client. This is not magic – it is properly configured integration. In addition, CRM allows you to launch auto-messages, change order statuses, leave comments – and all this without juggling with signs or messengers.

HubSpot cites a case study: a business that implemented a CRM system with website integration reduced response time to requests by 26% and increased the deal closing rate by 20% in the first 3 months .

WordPress is the perfect platform to start automation

When it comes to launching a website with automation elements, WordPress is like a good friend who won’t let you down. It’s easy to get started, yet flexible to grow. With a huge selection of plugins, themes, and integrations, an entrepreneur doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel — everything is already there, they just need to adapt it to their needs.

On the platform, you can quickly set up forms with auto-messages, link online payments, synchronize the site with CRM or email services. This is not technical magic – these are logical modules that work together. And most importantly – you don’t need to spend months on development: a template site with minimal automation can be launched in 2-3 weeks.

Domino’s Pizza introduced online ordering through its website back in the 2010s. Today, over 70% of their sales are through digital channels. This is one of the most successful examples of automation in the delivery market.

How template solutions work: a breakdown of the functionality

6Weeks websites are created based on proven templates that include everything you need to get started: responsive design, customized blocks, forms with confirmation, email communication, multilingual support. And what’s important — each solution can be supplemented and expanded over time.

For example, an entrepreneur first launches a website accepting applications. A month later, he adds integration with HubSpot. Then he connects online payments. And all this without radically rewriting the code or finding a new team.

According to 6Weeks’ internal statistics, in 2024, over 60% of clients who ordered a WordPress template site integrated at least one automation module (payments, CRM, or email newsletters) within the first 3 months.

In the OceanWP case , after redesigning the site with a focus on mobile navigation, the bounce rate decreased by 27%, and conversion from mobile traffic increased by 22%.

Typical mistakes when automating a website

Even the best tool won’t save you if you use it haphazardly. One of the main mistakes is automation without understanding the process. For example, an entrepreneur installs a chatbot but doesn’t have a script for how to respond to customers. Or launches online payment but doesn’t test what will happen after clicking “pay.”

Another common mistake is using too many plugins. The site turns into a zoo of modules that conflict with each other. And instead of automation, we have slowdowns and crashes. The solution is to work with those who have already gone this way and know which solutions are truly compatible with each other.

What else does automation give: time, money, scaling

Time is the main currency of an entrepreneur. And automation allows you to save it where hours are usually spent: on calling back clients, copying numbers from forms, invoicing, confirming orders. When the site performs these actions, a resource appears for strategic decisions, development, and focusing on profit.

Another significant advantage is fewer human errors. An automatic bill won’t mix up the numbers, the system won’t forget to send a reminder, and the form won’t allow you to send an empty field. As a result, there are fewer problems, returns, and misunderstandings. And more trust from the client.

Automation = not just a website, but part of the business model

When automation becomes part of the business architecture, not only the technical side changes, but also the approach to work in general. The owner sees the process as a system, where each step is thought out and supported by logic. And not as a set of improvised actions “on the knee”.

This allows you to scale. Add another region? Connect a new form of delivery? Launch an affiliate program? All this is implemented not through rush and hiring new people, but through updates to the website. And this is the foundation that allows the business to grow without losing quality.

According to Salesforce, companies that have implemented marketing and sales automation on their websites reduce personnel costs by an average of 12% in the first year after launch.

Signs that it’s time for you to automate your website

Sometimes it seems like your site is “working fine,” but it’s just a habit of inefficiency. Here are some signs that automation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

• You manually transfer contacts from the site to CRM or spreadsheets.
• Clients often ask, “Did my application arrive?” or “Where is my bill?”
• You lose your order because the manager only answers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Payment is made only after approval by phone.
• You don’t see clear analytics: where the leads come from, which pages are working.

If at least two of the points are familiar to you, automation can change the situation in just a month.

Why it’s worth starting simple — and who might benefit from other technologies

There is an illusion that real business works only on “serious” solutions: they say, WordPress is for freelancers and blogs, but real companies are only Laravel, React or custom development in PHP. In fact, it’s the opposite: a strong entrepreneur does not pull resources where you can still get by with a ready-made solution. Because time and money are also tools of business.

Template websites on WordPress are a quick start that covers 80% of tasks. You can launch landing pages, automate applications, collect a contact database, launch advertising. And only when a business encounters non-standard logic, a large number of integrations or extensive functionality, then custom solutions come onto the scene. Only 2 out of 10 projects that started with WordPress switch to custom development in the first year – the rest scale within template platforms.

According to Zapier, 88% of small businesses automate at least one process through their website. The most popular ones are order taking, email newsletters, and CRM integrations.

When WordPress is no longer enough

There are several signals that it’s time to look at more complex frameworks:

• the site must work as a SaaS platform or aggregator;
• you need custom offices with roles and complex logic;
• more than 10 integrations, including internal company systems;
• high performance is required with a large number of requests.

In such cases, it is advisable to switch to PHP, Vue, React or Laravel. This allows you to create a system tailored to a specific business model. But you need to get to this point. Without fanaticism, without geeky “let’s rewrite everything in Vue just because it’s fashionable”.

What the 6Weeks team offers

6Weeks specializes in WordPress template sites, because in most cases that’s enough. But the team also develops projects in PHP, Vue, React, and Laravel — when the business has grown to the point where every second of loading or integration matters. It’s like switching from a bicycle to an electric car — when the speed increases, the platform must also increase.

This strategy allows you to avoid spending too much at the start, but to have a solid foundation for the future. And most importantly, do not break what already works. Because smart automation is not a fad, but a response to real business needs.

Conclusions: automating means getting more done

A website has long ceased to be simply “the face of a company on the Internet.” It can be a manager, cashier, logistician, and marketer — if set up correctly. Otherwise, it’s just a beautiful signboard without a door, behind which nothing happens.

Automation is not about “robots instead of people.” It’s about efficiency and focus. If a business owner spends hours every day on what a website can do, it’s not a strategy, it’s a quagmire. And when these tasks are solved without his participation, air appears — for growth, new products, scaling.

The 6Weeks team helps build such systems. First, on WordPress, with templates that really work. Then, on more powerful frameworks when the business needs it. But always, with a focus on results, not technical “fancy.”

According to 6Weeks’ experience, businesses that start automating their website see a reduction in staff workload by up to 25% and an increase in order processing speed by 30–40% in the first 2–3 months.