If you want to become a successful business or a household name in the 21st Century, then you’re going to need the help of the internet – isn’t that why you’re reading this article today?
So, you want to take your business online, but you don’t know where to start. Firstly, you need to establish what will your business website be used for. Is it for selling products (also known as E-commerce), somewhere your customer can learn more about your business, or to hire your services? The purpose of your website is one out of many steps you need to figure out.
Once you know your websites purpose, you’re ready to look at the main set-up points which will bring your website to life. Are you going to go-it-alone and build it yourself or are you looking to invest?
The first time is trial and error
There is one rule of thumb for building a website for your business and that is to make it readable for everyone. It’s a little-known fact that no consumer wants to spend hours trawling through your website, no matter how much you think your product or service may be worth hours of reading about.
If you’re unable to or don’t feel confidently that you can explain your product or service to your clientele without using elaborate wording then it will be well worth considering a digital agency to write your content for you.
Cost matters
There are lots of ways your website can lose value if you skimp on the resources and software during the initial development stage. Using cheaper options to build your website is a recipe for disaster which will only come back to haunt you.
The budget for your website should reflect how much you care about your business but still be feasible. You must remember your website will hold data, some of which will be personal to your users, so you need to ensure you have an air-tight web hosting provider and anti-virus software.
The consequences of not ensuring this are more damaging to your business than if you pay a small initial fee for a digital agency to set up and monitor its progress.
Have an online strategy
All good businesses owners know that your next move needs a strategy to succeed. Conducting sales online requires direct targeting of your audience and imagery which will capture the attention of new users as well as existing.
Being uncertain of how to make your business ‘Google-friendly’ is totally natural, so it helps to know you can hire a digital agency will employ digital marketing strategies against your business objectives to produce content and design work which looks and works well on your website.
Make yourself known
Although what we have talked about may seem like a severe amount of work, the end is in sight but finishing your website doesn’t put you at the finish line quite yet.
How else are your consumers going to know you have a place in the online world than if you talk about it? Promotion is one of the core methods for driving traffic to your website and helping your presence to become more prominent. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are target audience hubs, where you can locate your customers, get their attention and tell them how to find you elsewhere.
The upkeep of social media posting, tracking and outreach can be draining if you’re trying to also run your business alongside it. It is recommended that you hire a professional to manage your social media campaigns so they are more efficient, and the results can be monitored effectively so you can progress in the right direction.
If you choose to hire a digital agency then be sure to look for one with an extended portfolio over 10years long such as Stockport web design firms. As a business owner trying to juggle multiple tasks at once, getting professional responsive web design done for you whilst you continue to operate your business can take a lot of pressure of and ensure that your website is public-ready, with relevant and enticing content that is structured to help sell your business to new consumers you will encounter online and to remain familiar to existing customers.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your business but getting your business online is one step closer to a life time of success.
