According to the Guardian, even the smallest of businesses need a website. We’d agree, obviously. You’d be surprised though just how many don’t. Now, if you fall into that category, it’s really time you get online – and not just to read this article! Having a website isn’t just great on a global scale, it can also help your local customer base get more involved in what you’re doing, and in turn, they’ll get more involved in making purchases.
Now, if you’re clueless about all things web, don’t worry, help is out there – we’ll get to that! But there’s also help out there for the stubborn lot who HAVE a website, who aren’t quite ready to admit that their efforts just aren’t working. We’re guessing this is the majority of businesses who aren’t seeing success!
So, what needs changing? First and foremost, you need to project a professional online presence, just as much as you would in ‘real life’. Once you put something out there on the web, it’s difficult to take it back – remember that. Fortunately though, it’s pretty easy to drum up a revamp, and freshen up parts of your site that just aren’t working.
Quite possibly the most important aspect is design and development. If you’re really stuck, you need to draft someone in to do this for you. There are absolutely tons of people who can get you started, and provide a design for your every need. What you might find easier though, is a company who can not only offer you design, but also loads of other relevant services, from domain hosting, graphic design and even writing your content, such as JJ Solutions.
Once the website is built, you need to ensure it is effectively maintained. You can download a plugin on Chrome to check for broken links, and you should do so on a semi-regular basis. You should also work on marketing the site, so that’s everything from social media to getting traffic to it through SEO. The content on there is also of the utmost importance – make sure you’ve written accurate product descriptions and that everything is spelled correctly – and of course, priced correctly, too. Accompanying photography should also look good and appealing, to encourage sales.
Finally, start a blog. It’s the best way to engage customers and keep them on the site longer. They can get an insight into the personality of your brand, it can encourage new traffic, and providing you keep it up-to-date, it lets everyone know where you’re at.
