To build a small business website, there are ten things you need to know.

A website is more than just a digital listing for a small business. It’s a combination of an information kiosk, a storefront, and a marketing tool all in one. And a fantastic website (often built with the best website builder and hosted on the best web hosting service) attracts more attention than any flier, ad in the penny saver, or acrobat balancing firm pens sitting outside the chamber of commerce ever could.

Apple, the neighborhood guitar teacher, and the fruit stand by the bus stop all have web pages. Without one, it’s practically hard for a company to survive, let alone thrive. You need a strong business presence with a great Grand Rapids website design built by The SEO Chick.

If your small business needs a new website or doesn’t have one at all, here are 10 things you should know to have it constructed properly and operating for you. 

1. Have a goal in mind.

Your website, like any other tool, serves a purpose. Make sure you know what you’re doing before you start building. Is it a place where you can sell your handmade aprons? Is it a microphone that you may use to announce your status as a thinking leader? Is there a way for customers to see your qualifications?

And how will your website help your present and potential customers? What competitive websites do they visit, and what keywords do they employ to locate them?

Make a list of your requirements and quantify them. A well-designed, purpose-built website will attract more clients than a jumbled collection of personal data.

If you are looking for a local website design service, give us a call.

2. Don’t let your pals design your website.

Hire a web developer, not your cousin Marie or your boyfriend’s school roommate that’s an art major. Regardless of their objectives, cheap hires result in shoddy-looking websites that don’t function as they should. At the very least, your website will be the face of your company. It’s the last place where you should scrimp.

Hire a vetted professional web developer or design the website yourself utilizing the best website builder and best web hosting tool available, both of which are quite reasonable.

You should expect to pay roughly $1500 for a freelancer. A full-fledged agency will set you back several thousand dollars. A website can be costly, but it is well worth the money.

3. Create a website with a website builder.

Website builders will be the most user-friendly of the platforms. Pre-made templates and themes are used by popular website builders like Weebly, Squarespace, or Wix.  These make the development process easier. You can utilize a website builder if you can drag and drop.  However, they are horrible for SEO and you are very limited on the capabilities of the software.  Not to mention you are at their mercy, should they decide to no longer be in business or something should happen.  With a WP site, you are in control of every aspect of your website as well as the hosting and files.  You can change hosts with ease, should you not like something about them, and not lose all the effort you have put into your website.

The disadvantage of templates is their lack of adaptability. Although most services provide a large number of templates – including industry-specific templates (retail, hotel, etc.) – you can rarely deviate from the menu in these builders.

4. If you require modification, use a content management system (CMS).

Instead of using a website builder, use a Content Management System (CMS) if you require a huge, intricate, multi-page site. Although a CMS has a learning curve, it may provide the same flexibility and specific features as a custom-built site — without the need or knowledge for rigorous coding.

Consider utilizing an open-source CMS like WordPress or Joomla if you want to hire a web developer in the future. The majority of web developers are familiar with these two platforms and can readily manipulate a site built on them. A proprietary CMS, on the other hand, will need them to learn new programming, which could stifle their advancement.

Websites developed with a CMS, unlike those made with Squarespace or Wix will require third-party hosting and email aliases. Fortunately, there are many options for such services that are very affordable.  Again, hiring a professional to complete these steps can save you a ton of wasted time and lost money in the end.

If you go with a WordPress site, you’ll also have access to thousands of community-created plugins and themes to use on your website.  Keep in mind that while WordPress is free to use, there are costs to some of the plugins and themes.  

5. It is time-consuming.

It will be pretty simple to create a website, but it will not be quick. A solid website will take longer than you expect, whether you do it yourself or pay a developer.

That’s because the bottleneck is in content development, not building. Even simple content like a headshot or a “Welcome” blog article will take time to create. It should, too. There are no quick cuts when it comes to creating quality content. Make the necessary preparations.  You will need words for content, images, and videos in some cases.

6. Keep things tidy

Busy websites with intrusive pop-ups, autoplay music, and animated text will be visited for three seconds before being abandoned. With a clean, well-organized website, you can keep your customers reading.

To emphasize vital information, use headings, brief paragraphs, and bullet points. Also, don’t let the scroll get out of hand. Long websites irritate those with short attention spans.

Most importantly, effective calls to action should keep visitors clicking. Examine what the competition has to offer — and how they’re doing it. “Click here for a free trial” is a weak call to action. You’re looking for clicks, not yawns.

7. Content reigns supreme.

Your clients will appreciate new, relevant content just as much as search engines do. Regular changes are the most effective strategy to attract visitors to your website.

Your firm will appear to be out of business if you have old blog entries and expired deals if you don’t update often. If you don’t plan to update, then you probably shouldn’t offer the latest in coupons and offerings on your website.

8. Having a mobile device is a requirement.

The majority of individuals today use their mobile devices to access the Internet. Because Google is aware of this, the mobile-friendliness of a website has an impact on its search ranking. Don’t slash your website’s legs off. Check to see if it will work on phones and tablets.

If you don’t know how to make your website mobile-friendly, there are many of resources available to assist you. Platforms such as bMobilized and DudaMobile will build you a distinct mobile site. If your website detects a mobile visitor, most CMS platforms provide plugins that will “switch on” a mobile theme.

9. Search engine optimization or else

Consider the search engine to be the bus that new clients use to navigate the Internet. New customers will never know your company exists if your website isn’t on the route.

You’ll most likely have a well-lit, easily-seen search engine-friendly bus stop if your website plan incorporates good, constantly updated content and mobile friendliness.

You may improve it even more by including descriptive keywords in your page URLs (for example, instead of “page 2,” call the page “about us”) and exchanging links with other websites. (However, you should only do this with websites that are relevant to you.) Also, don’t bother with a “Links” page. It will appear to Google as if you are attempting to deceive them.)

Also, avoid redundancy. In search results, pages with no distinguishing identities will compete with one another. Last but not least, offer an area for customer reviews and encourage them to use it. When search engines create their results, they will take into account the number of comments your business receives.

It’s worth noting that the search algorithm will almost certainly change. Your website should update as search terms change.

10. Start using analytics right away.

As soon as the website goes live, use performance tools like Google Analytics to see what’s working and what isn’t. More data can only aid you in making better decisions.

By expanding the information available to decision-makers, data and analytics (D&A) play a critical role in improving the accuracy and efficacy of corporate decisions.

We hope that this list helps you decide that a WordPress site is needed for any business and gives you insight on things that you should consider when building a website for a small business.