Any powerful business and any start up requires online presentation. This is a must in the modern world where all the actions are associated with the global network. A small business website serves as the digital storefront, offering a platform to showcase products, services and brand identity to a global audience. This is not just a virtual business card but a powerful tool that enhances brand visibility, credibility and customer engagement.
A small business website is a starting point for everyone looking for your brand info. This is where customers may find out more about products and services you provide as well as browse through testimonials and get in touch with your team. Moreover, a business that does not have an official website looks untrusted and loses credibility. So, if you wish your business to be a success, building a website is what you should start with. Take your time to read this article to discover fast and easy ways to set up your business project.
What Makes a Small Business Website a Must?
A website is a game-changer for small businesses, offering an array of benefits. Let’s outline them below:
- A website acts as a 24/7 storefront, making products and services accessible to customers worldwide, irrespective of geographical boundaries or time zones. By providing detailed information about offerings, pricing, and contact details, it serves as a round-the-clock marketing tool.
- This is a powerful tool for building brand identity and credibility. A professionally designed website with engaging content, customer testimonials and a user-friendly interface instills confidence in potential customers.
- A website significantly impacts sales and revenue generation. By attracting and engaging potential customers, a well-optimized site has the potential to drive sales, increasing the bottom line. Through the website, businesses can introduce promotions, offer deals, and facilitate online transactions, making it a revenue-generating platform.
Reasons to Get a Small Business Website
When considering a website for small business, it’s crucial to define its purpose and goals. Is it primarily for lead generation, online sales, or brand awareness? Defining these objectives helps shape the website’s design, content strategy and functionality.
Is your website about lead generation? Then it should focus on capturing visitor information through compelling CTA and contact forms.
Is it about boosting online sales? Then eCommerce capabilities and a user-friendly shopping experience become essential.
Do you aim to boost brand awareness? In this case, a content-rich website showcasing expertise and thought leadership would be the focus.
Understanding these goals not only streamlines the website’s development but also ensures compliance with business objectives and marketing strategies.
Choosing the Right Platform
Selecting the right website-building platform is crucial for small businesses, determining the website’s functionality, ease of use and scalability. While there are many platforms (CMS and website builders) that can be used for this very purpose, several of them cater specifically to small businesses, offering varying features, ease of use and pricing options. WordPress, Wix and Shopify are among the most popular systems, each with its unique offerings and suitability. Other popular website builders for beginners are reviewed here.
WordPress
WordPress is a versatile platform, ideal for businesses seeking customization and scalability. As an open-source CMS, it allows users to build a website with ease. Offering thousands of themes and plugins, WordPress is highly customizable, providing flexibility in design and functionality. However, it requires some technical expertise to set up and manage efficiently. That is the frequent reason for users to switch to Wix or other simpler systems.
While the platform is free to use, additional costs might be incurred for hosting, domain name, themes and plugins. There are hosts that offer ready-to-go packages for WordPress websites that come with the opportunity of one-click software installation. Bluehost is one of them. The cost of its subscriptions starts at $2.95 per month. See detailed info about WordPress here.
Read also: Best Alternatives to WordPressWix
Wix is a user-friendly DIY website builder, suitable for small businesses and online stores. The use of the software does not require tech expertise. Instead, it offers a drag-and-drop interface and guidelines that help everyone get started with ease. Wix has a large template library, two website editing options (including Wix ADI), multiple free/premium extensions available in its App Market and even a standalone Ascend platform for businesses. To find out more Wix features, browse this review.
The website builder has a straightforward pricing structure, with various subscription plans offering different features and functionalities. There is a separate group of plans for business and eCommerce projects here. The cost of plans starts at $27 per month. Likewise, there is a free plan here that lasts for an unlimited period of time.
Shopify
Shopify is a software primarily tailored for eCommerce businesses. This is an all-in-one solution, providing tools for building an online store, managing inventory and processing payments. The system offers a user-friendly interface, making it easier for businesses to set up and manage their web stores. It comes with advanced eCommerce designs, multiple payment/shipping options, integrated POS software, high end synchronization options etc.
Mind that Shopify pricing can be relatively higher compared to other platforms, especially if utilizing numerous apps and add-ons. The most popular Basic plan costs $24 per month billed annually. More Shopify plans and features are reviewed here.
To sum it all up, WordPress offers high customization and scalability, while Wix is user-friendly and Shopify is eCommerce-focused. Wix and Shopify are simpler for beginners while WordPress requires coding background to get started. In terms of pricing, WordPress is initially free, but additional costs may be incurred for hosting and add-ons. Wix and Shopify are subscription-based, with varying features and functionalities. If you still have doubts regarding the choice of the best website builder for small business, this article may come in handy to you.
Domain Name and Web Hosting
Picking an appropriate domain name is crucial for a small business website as it serves as its online identity. Here are some essential tips for choosing an effective domain name:
- Relevance and Branding: Choose a domain name that reflects your business and is easy to remember. Incorporate your business name or a relevant keyword to enhance brand recognition.
- Simplicity and Clarity: Keep the domain name concise, avoiding complex spellings or symbols that might confuse visitors.
- Avoid Hyphens and Numbers: Opt for a domain name that doesn’t contain hyphens or numbers, as these can make it more challenging to remember or type correctly.
- Domain Extension: Choose a suitable domain extension (.com, .net, .org) based on your business type and audience. While .com is widely preferred, other extensions can also work well based on your business specialization.
If you need more info about domain names, this article will provide the details.
When it comes to web hosting, several options cater to different needs and budgets. To select a suitable one, you need to be aware of the available hosting types:
- Shared Hosting: Ideal for small businesses with moderate website traffic. It implies sharing server space with other websites, making it cost-effective but potentially slower.
- VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server): Offers more resources and control than shared hosting. It’s suitable for businesses that require more scalability and performance.
- Dedicated Hosting: Provides a dedicated server for your website, offering high performance and full control. Recommended for larger businesses with high traffic and complex needs.
- Managed WordPress Hosting: Tailored specifically for WordPress websites, offering optimized performance and managed services, including updates and security.
Choosing the right domain name and web hosting provider is essential for establishing a trusted web presence. Assess your business’s needs, consider these tips and choose a domain name and hosting plan that complies with your budget and business goals.
Design and Content Creation
Creating a website for your small business involves several key steps and picking a platform to get started is the very first step. Having defined the system to work with, explore the available templates it has in its collection. Opt for the sample that reflects your brand identity best.
Customize the selected design, making the layout intuitive and easy to navigate. Add your logo, select color schemes, and organize the site’s structure to make it user-friendly.
Finally, add the required content. This is quite a responsible step that will provide the target audience with all the info they are looking for. Don’t forget to include an ‘About Us’ section to introduce your business, compelling product or service descriptions and clear contact details. Make it easy for visitors to contact you. Include a dedicated ‘Contact Us’ page with a contact form, phone number, email address and physical address.
By focusing on thoughtful design, easy navigation and compelling content, your small business website can effectively engage your audience and drive success.
Optimizing for Search Engines
Defining and implementing the right SEO strategies will help improve your business website visibility in search engine results, drive more organic traffic and increase your chances to reach and engage the target audience.
To complete the task, you need to identify and promote keywords relevant to your niche. Make sure to include them in your website’s content (including titles, headings, meta descriptions and the body text). The use of keywords should be natural not to compromise content readability.
Each web page should have compelling meta descriptions and title tags. These elements will be displayed in search results, influencing users’ decisions to keep browsing your website.
Take your time to work out a good link building strategy. Acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable and relevant websites. Earning backlinks from authoritative sources indicates to search engines that your website contains valuable information. Focus on organic link-building strategies, such as guest blogging, partnerships, and creating shareable content.
If your business caters to a local audience, prioritize local SEO efforts. List your business on online directories, optimize your Google My Business profile, and incorporate location-specific keywords to enhance visibility for local searches.
To track your business website performance, regularly use niche tools like Google Analytics It will help you control traffic fluctuations, user behavior, keyword rankings and other important SEO parameters.
Security and Maintenance
The process of business website creation is long-lasting and responsible. Obviously, you have to be sure your website is secured from cyber threats and ensures smooth operation.
You can strengthen your website’s security by installing security plugins or tools provided by your website platform. Enable HTTPS protocol to encrypt data transmission, install firewalls and regularly update security patches to protect against vulnerabilities.
Additionally, make up unique passwords for admin accounts, hosting and other website-related services. Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible to add an extra layer of security.
Keep your website software, themes and plugins up to date. Regular updates and ongoing maintenance often imply security patches that prevent vulnerabilities. Additionally, perform regular backups of your website’s data. This ensures that in case of any unexpected issues or cyber attacks, you can restore your website to its previous state without losing critical data.
Conclusion
Getting a small business website offers numerous advantages, including increased visibility and accessibility to potential customers. These projects serve as a round-the-clock marketing tool, letting businesses reach a global audience and establish trust with consumers.
The process of website creation includes several essential steps – from defining objectives and selecting the right platform to content creation, SEO optimization and security measures. This is a surefire way to unlock opportunities for company growth, enhance your brand presence and effectively engage with your audience.