In an era when it's easier than ever to access tools to create a website for your small business, the question remains simple: should you?
It's important to delineate that question from the fundamental inquiry of "Should you have a website?" The answer to that is an emphatic "yes," and more small businesses are seeing the need for a robust internet presence to maintain visibility in the highly competitive marketplace.
Recent statistics indicate that approximately three out of every four small businesses have a website, a number that's undoubtedly increased over the years but still has a way to go. A well-designed and fully functional site is a critically indispensable tool in the modern business realm, yet some entrepreneurs never take the necessary steps toward creating one. That's because many are fearful of the DIY website design pitfalls they may experience along the way.
A common trend within the last decade has been for small businesses and other modest-sized organizations to forgo a website in exchange for a presence exclusively within the confines of a Facebook page. This decision is an attractive option for the budget-conscious entrepreneur, and the widespread exposure Facebook enjoys would be placing the business in front of many eyes. The reality can play out a little differently, however, as content added to Facebook will always be at the mercy of the ever-changing algorithms. And even if a business can have a solid presence, a factor that's not often considered is that not everyone uses social media, so a sizeable chunk of prospective clients or customers may never make an effort to go looking in a place that they never visit anyway.
The inherent expense, setup complexity, and ongoing maintenance demands of a traditional website can also cause some business owners to look at an alternative option, such as a landing page. This scaled-down web presence contains certain elements common to a website, but its limitation is that it can never serve as a worthwhile substitute. Ideally, a landing page should be supplemental to a website rather than a replacement, focusing on a limited subject such as a new product or service release, a special promotional event, or an upcoming sale. A landing page's greatest strength is that it can help convey critical, time-sensitive information without someone plowing through an entire website until they find what they're looking for. However, relying on a landing page to be the repository of your business's online presence will yield only a partial result.
For those who've concluded that a business website is a practical tool to embrace, the next question to be grappled with involves deciding who will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the site. This decision point can be crucial for entrepreneurs because the approach taken from this point forward can have a tremendous positive or negative impact on the business's entire presence and brand identity. The budget-conscious perspective to try to save money if and where possible sounds prudent in theory but can turn out to be a practice that's detrimental to the business.
Perhaps you find yourself in that same position – wanting to develop a company website but feeling slightly intimidated by the associated costs. Obtaining a domain name, selecting a web hosting provider through which to launch your site, and paying a monthly or annual fee to be online might leave you wondering if it's financially wise. Even if you've convinced yourself of the legitimacy of creating a website, it's easy to believe that the level of financial investment just getting to that point precludes the possibility of having someone else do the heavy lifting. At this stage, many entrepreneurs instead opt for the DIY approach, and many hosting companies help to facilitate that methodology through how they've designed their services.
For someone with no coding experience, almost any hosting platform enables templates to tremendously simplify the process of setting up a website, making it easy to include elements such as e-commerce or a blog. There's nothing inherently wrong with utilizing these user-friendly tools to get things going, but there can be various drawbacks due to adopting the do-it-yourself approach. Statistically, fewer than 10% of small businesses that create a website on their own see it through to completion. Even in cases where a basic shell gets put in place, there may be detriments to the setup that are unseen to the business owner and yet a significant turn-off for prospective clients or customers.
One of the chief benefits of seeking an outside party to assist in setting up and maintaining your website is saving time. On a very general level, things that cost more can end up saving time, and things that cost less can end up wasting time. Making a more significant financial investment into something can often buy you convenience. This decision is a more advantageous approach for your business in the long run. More considerable upfront expenses can be offset further by saving time and not having to wade through technical challenges to get everything correctly set up. Time spent doing business will always help your bottom line more than time spent developing a website.
Hiring a web developer to craft your site also enables you to benefit from the added layers of expertise you can bring. The mechanics of setting up a website are one thing, but some considerations go beyond just the technical. The core component of your website's design should be to facilitate creating leads and driving the paying public to your business. A professional web developer has the tools and skillset to ensure that your website is intentionally organized to provide the best experience possible for those who visit it. Establishing an easy path for people to navigate through sections outlining all of your products or services will help visitors quickly understand the scope of what you have to offer.
Web developers can also take measures to maintain a consistent experience whether someone is viewing your site on a smartphone, a computer, or a tablet. Having the eyes of a professional on everything contained within your website will give you confidence that your business is constantly being presented in the most professional and credible manner. A web developer can work with you to ensure your presentation is polished, impactful, and aligned with your company's values. A major goal in web development is to gain the highest possible visibility in search engines, and working with someone fluent in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will enable keywords and meta tags to be utilized for that purpose.
A powerful website is an excellent platform for establishing and developing brand identity, and employing a professional to design your site assures you that the essence of who you are and what you do will be evident on every page. Like your business, your website should be viewed as a dynamic entity that will morph and expand over time. A web developer can also employ best practices to help integrate your website into the larger fabric of your social media presence. Every aspect of your online identity should support every other one, allowing for various digital entry points to your business.
Security and maintenance are among the most valuable areas of expertise a web developer can offer you. The prospect of your website being impacted by a cyberattack can be overwhelming, but having a professional in your corner will ensure that such instances are immediately mitigated and corrected. A developer can also facilitate necessary updates to your site, even to the degree of maintaining the addition of fresh content or product and service listings. How much or how little you utilize a web developer will vary depending on your needs, but having that resource at your disposal will solidify and protect your online efforts.
Only you can determine the best approach for your business, but the values of employing a web developer far outweigh any initial trepidation about the expense. Investing in creating the most professional and robust website possible will play a vital role in sustaining and scaling your business as you continue to develop and grow.
If you need help figuring out where to start with web design, or if you find yourself struggling with maintaining an existing site, ValorExcel can help. Visit https://www.valorexcel.com/websitedesign for more information about our web design packages for businesses. Or, visit our website at https://www.valorexcel.com/book-online, to book your power hour session where you’ll meet with ValorExcel staff to get started. You can also call us at 240-329-9387 or email us at info@valorexcel.com, Also, don't forget to check our recent videos on YouTube by clicking HERE. Let's work together to create a professional and impactful online presence for your business!✨ #WebDesignTips #SmallBusinessSuccess #ProfessionalWebDevelopment #OnlinePresence
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