Tips for Creating a Small Business Website
Having a professional looking website is important for most small businesses in today’s high tech society. Unfortunately, hiring someone to set up and design a site can be pretty costly. For a business owner with a small budget, having a web designer create a site may be too costly.
However, that doesn’t mean he or she has to give up on having a small business website. Making a basic website that is user friendly and visually appealing is possible, especially if the business owner follows a few basic tips. Website should have accurate and SEO friendly content on it and you may need to consult with wholesale copywriters to get this outstanding service before starting a website.
Get a Domain Name and Hosting Service
It can really be tempting to save money and use a site that offers free hosting when setting up a company website on a shoe string. However, it is too difficult for potential customers to remember a domain name like www.freehostingservice.com/your-business-name/your-businesss-website. A domain name like www.yourbusiness.com will be much easier for people to find.
If the free web hosting service offers domain forwarding, the business owner can still use the free hosting option. However, paying for reasonably priced hosting that has rave reviews from other small businesses is really a better option because free hosting often means the hosting company puts ads on the free sites. This can cause the business owner to lose potential sales and may make the company seem a bit less professional to prospective customers.
Find a Simple Business Website Template
Sites with flashy slide shows, 3-D models, or other fancy effects on a company website seem lovely in a designer’s office. They seem exciting when the business owner views them on his or her laptop over a high speed connection. They seem downright annoying and frustrating when a customer’s old PC freezes up because it can’t handle loading that bulky website over a dial up connection. Choosing a simple, functional website design is the smartest things most small business owners who are building a website can do.
Make Sure the Site Has a Contact Us Page
The most spectacular company website on the web is a failure if people who visit the site can’t figure out how to contact the company to make a purchase or to ask a question. A “Contact Us” link or tab should be clearly visible on all pages on the website.
Proofread Everything Twice Before Publishing
Even in today’s visually oriented world, a company website typically has a lot of verbiage on it. Some people may not notice misspelled words or grammar errors. Some will see them and remember that they make errors, too. The rest of the site’s visitors will feel like the business is fly-by-night, doesn’t have well educated staff members, or is sloppy. After the site is laid out and all the text is in place, several people should read through every word to be sure the site’s text is error free.
By following these tips for DIY small business websites, entrepreneurs will be able to design effective and attractive sites for their businesses. A functional site, even though it lacks all the bells and whistles of a website designed by a professional web designer, can help a business owner create a web presence for the growing business. Once the company has the funds, a pro can easily take the basic, but well designed, site to the next level.