One thing is for sure – we live in the age of technology. Because of that, every business, whether it is a brick and mortar one or not, must have a website. This feature is not optional. It is an absolute must. Just imagine, if you need to take care of some business, where will you start? The answer is simple – online! Every company must have an online presence. That is how they gain more customers and consumers. It is a cheap and simple way to promote and expand your business. Thus, if your company does not have a business website yet, what are you waiting for? Building one is rather easy. And, that is why we are here too. So, if you are interested in taking your company to the next level, here is everything you need to know before building your small business website.
Know the Purpose of Your Website
First things first, before you start building your website, be sure you know its purpose. That is, be sure that you know what your website must do. Focus on clarity of purpose! However, most people create their websites just for online presence. But, if your website does not have a clear purpose and it is there only to look pretty, then, it will not really work on your behalf, right? Absolutely! Thus, before anything else, try answering this question – what should people do when they enter my site? If you have difficulties answering, here are some ideas that might help:
- I need people to find out more about my business and the services it provides.
- I would like people to purchase a product of mine.
- I want this website to make it easier for people to make an appointment with me.
Decide on the Content You Want on Your Website
Once you have decided what is the purpose of your business website, you should start thinking about its content. When it comes to this, there are no strict rules. Every company is different, so, every website can be different too. Thus, you can put any kind of content you wish, just make sure it is relevant and connected with the overall purpose of your website. Here are some content ideas:
- Your Company’s Bio
- Services/Products
- Location/ Business Hours/ Contact Info
- Comment Section
- Helpful Blogs/ Pictures/ Videos
Of course, there are many other things you can put on your small business website, but it is important not to go overboard. A simple website with one text and one picture can be more powerful than a website with a million blogs, videos, and pictures, as long as it serves the previously mentioned purpose.
Think About the Website’s Structure and Design
After being sure about the purpose of your website and the content you want on it, it is time for the next step – structure and design. This one should be easy. You only need to decide whether you want your small business website to be simple or more complex. For instance, a simple website only has the most important information posted on a single page, while those complex ones have dozens of pages with different contents. And, when it comes to design, it would be best to do some research and see what is out there. You can choose between different layouts, colors, fonts, special effects, etc.
Build Your Small Business Website
Hopefully, by now, you have made all the important decisions and you have a clear picture in mind of how the website should look and perform. The next step is to turn those ideas into reality. Here, basically, you have two options:
- Hire somebody to build you a website – If you do not have the proper skills and knowledge needed for building a website, it would be best to hire somebody who does. You can find a freelancer (a web designer or a web developer) on Upwork or Linkedin. Moreover, if your small business is, for instance, related to moving, you can hire a company like moversdev.com, which can help you build and maintain your site. But, it is important to remember that these people can not read your mind! Thus, once you hire them, make sure you tell them your ideas about the purpose, content, structure, and design.
- Build it yourself – If you are not afraid of some DIY work, you can also build your small business website using different kinds of website builders. They can help you register your domain, pick a site template, choose the best hosting bundle, and add all the extras (photos, videos, blogs, contact information, etc.) Some of the most functional, and easiest website builders you can use are, for example, Weebly and Wix.
Get Ready to Go Live
Whether you have built your own website or hired somebody to do it for you, check if everything is in place and check whether it works on all major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc. If everything seems in order, well, you are ready to go live. If you used some of the previously mentioned website builders, you simply have to click on ‘Publish’ and voila! You will soon see your business thriving. Thus, take advantage of modern technology – technology advances business opportunities.
Market and Maintain Your Small Business Website Regularly
But, of course, you can not only click the ‘Publish’ button and be done with your small business website. You must also optimize internet marketing, that is, market it properly on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Linkedin, and even Pinterest) and maintain it regularly. That is the only way to expend the circle of your customers and consumers and show them that you mean business. Again, if you know how to maintain and update your website, great, do it once a week. If not, do not worry. There are many companies which can do this for you.