If there is anything Small Businesses and many others need to take away during this on going pandemic is that online and digital marketing is crucial. Although the lockdown measures and face covers may be slowly drifting away, many of us are continuing to use the internet more then ever. Whether if you are working from home, attending university, or simply trying to reconnect with old friends, Our reliance on our technology goes hand in hand in our everyday tasks.
The digital age has changed everything. Businesses are no longer just brick and mortar storefronts, they exist online too. Website design is an important aspect for any small business to have a competitive edge in this digital age. This article will discuss the importance of having a website, how it can increase your success as a small business, what you need to consider when designing your website, and more!
Credibility and Trust
Websites are an essential tool for any size business to establish their credibility and building trust with their customers. According to smallbizgenius.com, 80% of mobile users look for a local business online and within just a few clicks lead to a sale within the next 24 hours. There are lots of very quick and easy ways to make sure your small business website or professional website maintains the credibility it deserves. A professional small business website can have the capacity to share information on products or services, online stores, online bookings, blogging tools, social media links and much more!
Some key things that you should remember when establishing credibility on your business website should always contain the following:
- Own your own domain! Make sure your own website has a URL or Domain that is related to your company! Having a custom domain that is easy to remember and type makes all the difference when customers are trying to find your business. Most of the time you can get a free domain for the first year!
- Provide a experience when customer visit your site. Making sure your website is user-friendly on all devices is key, especially on mobile devices! Make sure your content is organized and easy to navigate.
- Make sure it’s easy for customers to contact you if they have any questions, this can be done either through a contact forms or simply displaying your mobile phone number and/or email address across your entire site.
- Display customer reviews! By placing reviews and testimonials from actual customers you gain a sense of trust and community! Typically you can install plugins to gather reviews from Facebook and Google!
- Showcase the Team! Providing personal and meaningful conversation on why you as a small business owner started your business and passions will make your company seem even more personal.
Increase Sales, Awareness and Success!
A Website is a versatile marketing tool! With the help of a website you can easily increase your sales, spread awareness and even create new opportunities for success! According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 97% of consumers search for products and services online, while up to 36% of small business owners do not have a website. Without an online presence, your business is losing out on countless opportunities to connect with clients and customers.
A Website can be used as a tool for direct marketing! A website can display all of the services or products you may offer, allowing users easy access to find what they need.
The best way to offer your products is always going to be making it as accessible as possible. The easiest way to do so is by creating an online store, which are commonly referred to as ecommerce sites. The difference between a regular website and an ecommerce website is simply the ability to take a form of payment through your website and pay online. With Ecommerce stores you have the capabilities to sell unlimited products, services or even online courses.
With different programs like Shopify or Woo Commerce you do not require any coding knowledge and makes selling online super simple. These programs are prebuilt with drag and drop building software that are design around different industries so you can pick what best suits your business website.
If you are not ready to sell online- fear not! Including a blog on your website is always a great way to show you’re an expert in your field! A blog can be used as another medium to share valuable information and technical knowledge with potential and current customers. By adding a blog to your website it will increase your business awareness by enhancing your SEO. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is how your online business ranks in search engines like Google. The more traffic your small business website gets the higher you will rank in Google, which means an increase of sales, awareness and overall success.
When integrating online stores and blogging capabilities it’s very important to add SEO tools to gain further insight on what is gathering the most attention on your website. The easiest way to do this is by installing Google Analytics- which is completely free! Google Analytics provides insight on different SEO capabilities and goes hand in hand with Google Ads is you are looking into that platform to further promote your business.
With Google analytics you will gain insight on:
- Keywords and Meta Data: What keywords are my customers searching for? EX: Marketing Companies in Shreveport LA, Website Designer near me, Etc. This helps with your keyword research in curating quality articles and website content to rank higher!
- Search Engine Results: See where you’re ranking in Google from the search engine users standpoint.
- Traffic & Time Frame: Gains insight on how many people are visiting your small business websites or online store and how long are they staying on each page.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Web Design Matters!
Now that you understand all of the wonderful things a website can do for your small business, it’s important to make sure your site looks its best! Website design is key in representing your business and building trust with potential and current customers. According to BluErth, 75% of users make judgements about a company’s credibility based on their web design. If you’re not feeling confident in designing or maintaining a website yourself, don’t worry- there are many different platforms that offer Website Design services at an affordable price!
We personally use WordPress with a combination of Elementor. A WordPress Website is simple, easy maintain, and user friendly for any small business owner to ensure you feel and look tech savvy! Though WordPress comes with a prebuilt WordPress theme we heavily recommend the combination of Elementor.
Elementor is one of the best overall website builder that we’ve worked with. Elementor is a drag and drop builder that lives as the front end designer. This program provides you with professionally designed sections you can customize to your businesses brand. This is crucial as your website should be consistent with your business colors, fonts and imagery.
We know that website development and web design may seem daunting and time consuming. All of our websites are completely customizable and designed around small businesses with the modern look and feel to attract customers- not complicate them! That’s why we provide you with all of the tools for success including hosting, domains, WordPress back end development and front end Elementor design.
Are Websites Expensive?
Website design and development can be expensive if you’re not aware of the tools that are available to help create your own website. Website hosting, domains, builders, email addresses- these are all necessary components for having a successful business online!
Don’t let owning a small business hold you back because websites don’t have to cost an arm and leg! Here are the outlines of all the paid plans we recommend.
- We work with companies like SiteGround who provide Website Hosting starting at $79/year (including SSL) which includes 30 days free support & 247/365 phone and chat access and free professional emails.
- And as far as domain names go we recommend using SiteGround Domains – they offer .com’s from only $17.99 per year.
- Every element needed in creating a professional looking site is now within reach thanks to Elementor- they offer a free program and a paid subscription that offers a little bit more for $50 per year.
Which means you really could get started as low as $150 per year, which is under $13 per month!
So, you’re ready to jump on the website bandwagon? We make it easy for anyone to create a website without breaking the bank. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the options out there, our team is happy to help! We want every small business owner online and thriving in this digital age! If this seems like more than what’s right for your company please reach out and we’ll be happy to help guide you in the right direction of finding just what makes sense based off of your business needs and business pan. We want every small business owner online!