When you start a small business one of the most important steps that you can take is putting your business online. You may be wondering why creating an online presence for your business is important. The are numerous reasons for creating a website for your small business, and we will address them in this first installment in a series that has the end goal of allowing you to build a powerfully dynamic and professional WordPress website. We will cover everything from choosing your hosting account to designing and choosing themes all the way to understanding SEO and e-commerce. First, we’ll talk about the reasons for your website.
Six Core Motivations For Building a WordPress Website For Your Small Business
There are six common reasons that a business would decide it needs a website. While any of these reasons are understandable from a business perspective there needs to be a refinement to the methods used in order to get the best possible results.
1 – Get contact information online in order for people to quickly find the business
On the one hand it is absolutely necessary to have your business’ address and phone number online for any potential clients or customers to see. However, you should not go for such a bare bones approach. If a potential client or customer looks for your business and sees a website with nothing more than a phone number and an address then you will probably end up losing business. A lot of customers will receive their first impression of your business from your website and if they see something bare-bones then they will assume the rest of your business is run that way.
Create an Introduction – Be sure to describe your business and the services it offers. This is a great way to further entice customers to make that phone call or visit your address.
Use Your Imagination – Find a creative way to present your business as an entity in a way that will really stick in the minds of potential customers.
Sell Your Expertise – Use your website as an opportunity to show potential clients and customers why they should go with your business. Establish in their minds that nobody can offer the level of quality and expertise that your business can.
Call to Action – Your website needs to prompt some kind of action from your potential customers or clients. This is best utilized in the form of a call to action button whether it be to offer a consultation, free sample, or coupon. This gives them further reason to make the phone call.
2 – Build a web presence to remain current
Being tech savvy is a very helpful skill to have, but it is understandable if one is not always up to date on technical trends. However, it is important to develop the technical skill necessary in order to maintain a competitive edge and keep up with the ever-so elusive next generation of customers.
The best solution is to simply develop your technical skill. You already have a great business, so take the initiative that was required to build your business in the first place and put it towards creating a great website.
3 – More professional looking website
The truth of business websites is that, more often than not, not a whole lot of thought is put into their design and that is a real shame. It is an absolute must that your website looks professional. Think of it in the same vein as getting dressed for work. If you wear casual clothes then few will believe that you are a business owner. If you put on a suit, suddenly you look the part.
Be sure to thoroughly proofread each page of your website down to the very last word. You also want to be sure that any photos on your website are original and high quality. You should also be ready to answer any customer or client e-mails in a timely manner, just as you would answer a phone call.
4 – Be number one on major search engines
SEO is a very important part of almost any business, and having that number one spot is a tremendous way to gain noticed and boost business. However, you need to keep in mind that SEO is a serious game that requires dedication. This means putting together a content plan that strongly emphasizes original, regularly updated content on your site.
If you are going to play the SEO game then you need to keep in mind that relevance is the key. Nothing on your site can serve as simple filler, and there must be informative and simple enough content for crawlers to find your site. WordPress enables you to update content yourself without the need for an additional developer.
5 – Competition has a website
Just because your competitor got a website first does not mean that you cannot do it better. Study their website. Find flaws. Look at their strategies. Find weaknesses. This is a huge chance to create a better online experience for your customers than what your competition is providing.
Whatever you do, do not copy your competitor’s website. You want to create something that is a significant improvement on your competitor’s website.
6 – Be an online seller
Being an online seller is a great idea because it opens a world of opportunities and doors for both you and your brand. A strong brand’s value should never be underestimated.
Getting operational is of the up most importance. Setting up a merchant account and payment methods are things you’ll need to do along with having a clear idea of what you want to sell and the direction you want to take.
Stay tuned for next week’s guide and part two of building and maintaining a small business website on WordPress.