The world has gone digital and there is no denying this. Even if your small business is fully operating offline, your customers will most likely use the internet to find information about your company. If you do not have a website for your small business, you are missing out on an opportunity to reach more potential customers than ever before. Creating a spectacular website is easier than ever before, so there really isn’t any excuse for not having one.
What information do you put on the site?
The first thing that you need to do is find out what you would like to include on your website. This might mean that you have to put in some serious brainstorming time, but it will definitely be worth it in the end. The more information that you provide on your site, the better off that your customers will be. You can always add or take away items later on, but you need to at least have some sort of layout for your website.
If you already have a business, it might be best to offer information about your company history or mission statement. This way your customers will understand what makes your small business different from the competition. If you are trying to attract new customers, provide pictures of some of your past projects and testimonials from satisfied customers. This will show that you are reliable and trustworthy. You should also include any press reviews or awards that your business has received in the past.
What about e-commerce?
Depending on the kind of product or service you offer, you can also use your website to potentially sell some products online. If this is the case, then it would be best to keep your website and e-commerce shopping cart integrated. If this is not possible, be sure to create links to make navigation easier between your shopping cart and your website. Having a blog section also makes a lot of sense as content marketing has been proven to be a valuable way to attract and retain customers.
What about the technical part?
Creating a basic website for your small business is really not as hard as you might think. In fact, there are a number of templates that you can use to create the perfect site for your small business without much work at all. Sites like Wix and Squarespace tend to make this process much easier than before. You should also make sure that your website is mobile-friendly in case a potential customer wants to check out your company from their mobile device.
If you know your way around these things and have the technical know-how, you can have your website up and running in less than a day. You should also make sure that you have a way for potential customers to contact you via email or phone if they have more questions about what your business has to offer.
A great design speaks volume
You should also think about the design of your website. There are many different factors that go into determining how your site will look, including the colors that you choose and the pictures that you include on each page. You might want to hire a professional web designer to make these decisions and to help you with the technical aspects of your site. If money is an issue, you might be able to find a website design company that will do the work at a reduced rate. However, if you’re on a budget, you might find a freelancer who is ready to work for just a token.
Page load speed is crucial
You also need to take into consideration how fast your website loads when someone visits. Everyone’s internet connection is different, so it is hard to know exactly how long your site will take to load on each computer. If the website takes too long to load, most people will simply click off of it and go elsewhere. While designing, be sure images are resized and optimized for fast loading and there are no clutters. Caching also helps a great deal with page load time.
What will it cost?
The price of creating an online presence for your small business will vary depending on the size of the project. If you are only looking to create a basic website, then it won’t cost too much at all. On the other hand, if you are looking for top-level design and functionality, this could end up being quite expensive. That being said, most small businesses can get by with a simple website for less than $500.
For more information, you can contact a reputable web design company that can either help you find the perfect template or create a beautiful site from scratch. They will also be able to let you know just how much your project will cost and how long it should take to complete. When creating a website for your small business, quality is definitely better than quantity. Some businesses waste far too much time and money trying to include every last detail about their company on a single website. Instead of doing this, you should focus on providing customers with what they need to know before making a purchase or becoming involved in your business.
Marketing is key
Once you have finished creating your website, you need to get the word out about it. You should take some time to share your website on social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Be sure that you also let all of your friends know about the site so that they can share it with anyone in their social circles who might be interested in viewing it. If possible, hire a professional marketing company to help you run a campaign that will bring more people directly to your website.
A website is a must-have for any small business
In the end, there truly is no excuse for not having a website. You can easily create one yourself or hire someone to do it for you. If money is tight, talk to a marketing company about helping you get your site noticed online. With so many people looking at websites every day, you will not want to miss out on this ever-growing market.
By creating, or hiring someone to create, a website for your small business, you are taking the first step toward increased profits and revenue. Not having an official site can limit your business’s growth potential because new customers might decide against doing business with you if they can’t find you online.
The world has gone digital, get with the times and create a site for your business today!