Small Business Websites
Does your small business need a website?
Now there's a stupid question... don't you think
so? Of course! every small business needs a website these
days.
It's a fact... The internet is now part of our lives,
and that fact is likely never going to change during yours and my
lifetime.
According to national commerce statistics (from
2008) more than 63% of
Americans between the ages of 18 and 65 are now using the internet
to research products and services, before making any purchasing
decisions. That number is only likely to get bigger from here.
Many people will even make their
purchases right on your website. Others are still in the research
stage, and they're looking for more information.
For many small businesses, a website is the first
contact between your company and your customers. Even
if you don't conduct all your business online, a website might be
just what your customers need to see, to get them to choose you over
a competitor.
So the question is not "does your small
business need a website?" But rather, "how long are
you going to continue losing money, before you decide to get a
website for your small business?"
You don't need to have a big flashy website,
with hundreds of pages, and all the bells and whistles. In fact, if
you're just starting out on the web, I highly recommend starting out
with a simple website.
A simple small business website is easier to
maintain when you're first introducing your business to the
internet. And you can always add pages to it as you go. You can even
redesign the entire website a couple years down the road. The main
point here is to just put up a website and join the 21st century.
Of course, even a simple small business website
still needs to be professionally designed. After all, it is
going to be the first impression many of your potential customers
will get about you and your company.
So what makes for a good small business
website?
To answer this question, you need to consider
two things first...
1) You need to determine what you want
your small business website to do for you. Do you want to sell your
products or services directly from your website? Or do you simply
want your website to provide your visitors with information about
you and your company, so they can call you or visit you in
person?
This may sound like a simple enough question,
but you might be surprised to see how many small business websites aren't even
focused enough to answer this seemingly simple question.
Your website needs to stay focused, and on
purpose, if you want to turn your visitors into customers.
If you want someone to purchase your products or
services directly from your website, then you do want to
provide them with as much useful information as possible. But your webcopy (or sales message on the
page) should stay focused on the goal of providing information that
will allow them to see the benefits of purchasing from you right
now.
On the other hand, if your goal is to have them
contact you, so you can create leads for long term relationships,
then your primary focus should be on getting them to do just that.
Don't try to sell them on anything other than the benefits of
contacting you as soon as possible.
2) The second thing to consider is the
layout (or design) of your small business website.
Obviously, you want a website that instills
confidence with your website visitors. But the final website design
needs to also be consistent with the rest of your company. One thing
that instills confidence in people, is dealing with other people (or
businesses) who are consistent with their values and overall
presentation.
Ask yourself this question...
If you get a brochure from a company, and it
looks nice, but the business card included with the brochure has a
different logo on it and a different color scheme, then you visit
the company's website and it's completely different from the
brochure and the card, what is your first impression going to be
about that company?
Most people will have a predictable response to
this. They're going to say "this company is all over the place and
completely disorganized. How can I possible trust them with my
money?"
So consistency is key. If your brochure is red,
white, and blue... then your business card should be red, white, and
blue... and your small business website should also be consistent
with the rest of your company.
You also want to be sure your small business
website is consistent from page to page. Don't put a different
looking logo on different pages... don't change the color scheme from
page to page... and try to keep the font of your web copy the same
throughout your website.
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You also need to keep your small business
website focused on your area of
expertise. We live in the era of niche marketing, and people are
looking to do business with experts in their chosen fields. So don't
try to be all things to all people (you'll only end up being nothing
to anybody) Instead, stay focused on what you're good at.
If you sell insurance, then your website should
present you as the local expert
in the insurance industry. If you own a pizza restaurant, then
your website should show you as the best pizza shop in town. If you offer landscaping
services, don't try to sell women's shoes from your
website (unless they are specifically designed to be women's
landscaping shoes).
Remember consistency is key, and your small
business website needs to reflect your consistency and your
expertise.
Another way to build confidence with your
website visitors, is to use third party endorsements.
Testimonials from satisfied customers are a
great start, but don't rely on them too heavily. Many people are
suspicious of testimonials on websites because they have no way of
knowing if the testimonials are real, or if the person was actually
paid for their endorsement. So definitely use them, because they can
help, but don't rely on them too heavily.
Other types of endorsement are from famous
people or trusted sources. If you have the opportunity to join your
local Chamber Of Commerce, or your local Better Business Bureau,
then by all means, put their logos on your small business website.
An endorsement from a trusted third party source
can do more to create confidence with your visitors than all the
testimonials put together.
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In summary...
-
If your small business doesn't have a
website yet... You need to get one!
-
Keep your small business website focused on
its purpose (selling products or getting leads)
-
Keep your small business website consistent
with the overall presentation of your company.
-
Keep your small business website looking
consistent from page to page.
-
Focus on your area of expertise. (don't try
to be all things to all people)
-
Whenever possible, use third party
endorsements.
There are certainly more things you can do
create a professional web presence for your small business, but if
you follow the guidelines in this short article, you'll be off to
great start.
Original article by Steven Rubin. Co-founder and
ranking partner of SARubin-websites.com - Helping you bring your vision to the
world.
