Websites for small businesses

Many people start building websites with “drag and drop” website builders like Wix, few actually end up with what they hoped for. Why? The reality is that even if you are given a layout, you still need some knowledge of design to create something that looks good and presents your content in way that is (a) appealing and easy to understand for humans and (b) tells Google and Bing what your website is all about. The demo sites that people like Wix and GoDaddy show you use professional photography, that most small businesses do not  have and don’t have the budget to commission. These demo sites also tend to contain minimal wording. That’s great if your target audience are telepaths and you spend all day beaming your thoughts into the ether. If your target audience are regular people, searching for information about a specific product or service, you need to tell them how you can fulfill their needs. You also need to tell Google (and  other search engines) the same things only in a specific format that will help you climb the search engine results page so people find you more easily.

How your website is built depends on what you  intend to do with it and whether it acts a shop window to your business or you sell directly from the website. By far the most popular website platform is WordPress. It powers around 800 million websites and is supported by a network of developers across the world. Some massive website, like the New York Times, are built with WordPress. Equally, it’s a really cost-effective and felxible platform for small businesses, as it can grow with your ambitions.

Selling directly from your website

If you are planning to sell directly from your website you will need some form of e-commerce platform. WordPress uses WooCommerce, a system that accepts all major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. WooCommerce charges a small percentage of each transaction but doesn’t charge a monthly subscription fee.

The other major player in e-commerce websites is Shopify. This is an out-and-out e-commerce platform aimed at selling, rather than offering websites that simply tell you about a business. It charges a monthly fee plus transaction charges. Having built web stores with both WooCommerce and Shopify I have found business owners tend to prefer Shopify over WooCommerce. Neither is a bad system and if you’d like to discuss which may be best for your business please get in touch.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) means constructing your website in a way that makes it as easy as possible for search engines to find relevant information. Put simply, if someone is searching for “Brass Widgets” then key parts of your website needs to contain information relevant to “brass widgets”. This is not a case of adding the phrase multiple times to every page (a process called keyword stuffing that will actually harm your search engine ranking). With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) search engines are becoming very sophisticated at determining what is relevant content and what is filller. Google calls this helpful, reliable, people-first content.

Many web design companies will charge you extra for ‘optimising’ your website. I believe SEO is as key a part of your website as the content and visual look. To find out more get in touch today.

You’ll need a domain name and you’ll need web hosting (somewhere for your website’s files to live). It isn’t critical where you buy your domain name but there are some things to consider when choosing a hosting provider. For me the key consideration is what level of support you will receive if something goes wrong. For example, GoDaddy only offer telephone support. If you aren’t technically minded you’ll have no idea what they’re telling you. Another important consideration is whether your site will be sharing a server (the computer that serves the website to visitors), have its own server, or have its own dedicated quota of server resources. Beware cheap hosting packages that will have your website sharing a server with numerous others, resulting in a slow and unreliable site.

Check out the reviews of any potential hosting companies. I use SiteGround and can host your website for you. To find out more get in touch today.

The short answer is that you’ll get great work for a lot less money. You’ll also get to work directly with the person creating your website, rather than having your questions relayed through account handlers. Some people like being taken to lunch and visiting swanky offices but at the end of the day you – the client – are paying for those offices. Big companies like to use big agencies.  If you’re just starting out with your own business, and are the person responsible for balancing the books at the end of each month, then let’s talk.

I have built websites for a multitude of businesses including online retailers, independent garages, franchised motor dealerships, a flight experience operator, multiple forklift truck dealers, solicitors, physiotherapists, recruitment agencies, kiln dried log suppliers, a parish council, flooring contractors, restaurants, an eye clinic, a plastering school, a water cooler supplier, and an industrial process control business. To find out more please get in touch today.