| What type of website should a small business have? | | | | that your a professional business |
| What should a small business website look like? | | | | * image - your website will be a shop window to |
| What content should a small business website have? | | | | your business - is it dressed to impress? |
| The above are questions that many small businesses | | | | Typical ways of trying to overcome the above |
| will be asking themselves when it comes to | | | | barriers include: |
| developing their own websites. They know they | | | | About us pages - you will find many sites with "about |
| need to be on the web, they know that there is | | | | us" pages on them, it is a good way of |
| potential value to their business in being on the web, | | | | communicating that your business has some |
| but their not quite sure how or what apart from the | | | | substance to it / has been in business / has happy |
| need for a website.... | | | | customers and staff. This helps to give your website |
| This article is aimed at helping small businesses use | | | | visitor confidence in your business. |
| the web effectively and to get their first website up | | | | Testimonials - another excellent way of building trust |
| and running and working for them (or to redevelop | | | | and demonstrating professionalism. If visitors are |
| an existing site). | | | | unsure about your offering, one of the best ways of |
| We will use a series of steps which can help any | | | | reassuring them is to show them what others have |
| small business plan its website and help to create that | | | | said and done. |
| business an effective website. | | | | Case studies - a great way of demonstrating |
| Step 1: Define the purpose of the website | | | | expertise and professionalism, this builds on a |
| Believe it or not, defining the purpose of the website | | | | testimonial in terms of trust building, but depending |
| is something that is often overlooked by many small | | | | on the way it's structured can significantly help in |
| businesses when it comes to planning their website. | | | | demonstrating your professionalism. |
| Primarily this is because most small businesses think | | | | Terms and conditions - no need to make this high |
| they know what they want, but because they | | | | profile, but having T&C's, which include a refund |
| haven't defined it, they often miss the mark. | | | | policy for example, can greatly help in the building |
| Simply put, only by defining a purpose of your | | | | confidence stakes. |
| website can you ever judge whether your website | | | | Contact details - whether your business is based at |
| has been successful or not, or what you need to do | | | | home or anywhere else, having full contact details - |
| to make it successful! | | | | address and telephone number - is important. The |
| For example, you may want your website to deliver | | | | majority of visitors will probably not contact you |
| any (or all) of the following: | | | | (depending on the objectives of your business), but |
| * sell your products or services on-line (an on-line | | | | its reassuring for them is they can. |
| shop) | | | | Presentation counts - having a well designed website |
| * promote your business (advertising) | | | | is critical. Whilst "content is king", unless it's highly |
| * support your business (many customers expect | | | | relevant and appropriate content, visitors won't read |
| you to have a website) | | | | it unless it presented well. Remember, for many |
| * provide information to potential and existing | | | | industries, presentation will matter more. |
| customers (brochure site) | | | | Step 4 - review and simplify |
| * provide support to existing customers (technical | | | | After following the above steps, you probably have |
| information, questions and answers etc.) | | | | a huge list of things you want on your website. |
| Once you have chosen what you want your website | | | | However, very few people will want to read a huge |
| to deliver, you can then start to plan it much more | | | | list of things on a website (unless they are really |
| effectively in terms of what you need to include on | | | | really interested). |
| that website and how it should look and feel. | | | | Therefore, you need to review, simplify and review. |
| Step 2: What do you think you need to communicate | | | | For your home page, you want to focus on one |
| to achieve your objective (purpose) | | | | thing alone - your proposition to the customer. By all |
| Having defined the purpose of the website, we now | | | | means have other things, but keep the focus simple |
| need to structure some relevant content to "sell" the | | | | and concise. Engage your customers in increments, so |
| business. | | | | instead of making a do or die pitch for their business |
| From a business owners point of view, this could | | | | in two paragraphs, try to get them to click onto |
| include: | | | | another page for more detail. In this way you can |
| * What we do, what we sell - page(s) explaining the | | | | then focus the page the customer clicks on to that |
| product or service that the business offers | | | | specific service, product or feature without |
| * Our pricing for what we do and what we sell | | | | overwhelming them. |
| * Where we are - if it's a bricks and mortar business, | | | | You navigation structure - the way your pages link to |
| then we need to tell customers where they can find | | | | each other needs to be simple too. There is a reason |
| us | | | | why the majority of website navigation bars are at |
| * Our unique selling point (USP) - in other words what | | | | the top of the page underneath the header - that's |
| does the business do better than anyone else, or | | | | because people expect them to be there and it's |
| more simply - why you should do business with us | | | | now intuitive. |
| (this could be one factor - "we are the cheapest", or | | | | Your presentation - don't try to crowd too many |
| it could be a combination of factors - "we offer the | | | | things together. Keep it simple clean and concise. |
| best service in your community at the best prices" | | | | Your customers will thank you for it. Too many times |
| A key thing to think about here is that the internet is | | | | you see web-pages crammed with everything under |
| driven by "content". Google and other search engines | | | | the sun, from animated graphics to news wires. |
| index pages according to what they "think" there | | | | Step 5 - peer review |
| about based upon the pages content. Therefore, it is | | | | Your an expert at your business, unless that business |
| critical to get appropriate content on your website, | | | | is communications or web design, don't expect to be |
| explaining what you do, where you are etc. | | | | an expert in that too. Ask for peoples advice, your |
| Many pundits use the phrase "content is king", so | | | | peers, your colleagues, your family. You might not |
| when your planning your website, think how you can | | | | agree with them, but they can provide a different |
| get appropriate and relevant content onto your | | | | and important viewpoint. |
| website that will both be interesting to your | | | | Above all, check out what your competitors are |
| customers and search engine friendly. Many business | | | | doing, whether there local or not. See which ones |
| for example have "how to" guides on their websites, | | | | you would do business with them (from just looking |
| the on-line equivalent of a friendly authoritative shop | | | | at their websites) and then ask yourself why! |
| keeper. | | | | Concluding remarks |
| Step 3: Get into your customers shoes... | | | | Hopefully this article has given you some food for |
| OK, so we have decided what we want our website | | | | thought if nothing else. It's not designed to be a how |
| to achieve and we have decided on some | | | | to guide, or a technical guide, but more a guide on |
| appropriate content that will "sell". Now for the harder | | | | structuring and focusing your content and |
| part. | | | | overcoming some of the barriers you as a business |
| Some businesses will find this intuitive, others won't. | | | | will face in the on-line world. |
| We need to get into the customers shoes and find | | | | Further, always keep a foot (or two) in reality, if |
| out what they want to know, what they need to | | | | your business isn't viable in the real world, don't |
| know about the business in order for them to | | | | necessarily expect it to be viable in the on-line world. |
| interact with it and (depending on the objectives of | | | | Likewise, having a website doesn't guarantee |
| the website) become a customer, be that make an | | | | thousands of visitors, you will be shocked at how |
| order on-line, pick up the phone, or pop into your | | | | few visitors the average business website gets! |
| office / shop. | | | | And (nearly finished), when you have published your |
| Key things to consider here are: | | | | website (whether you have done it yourself (bad) or |
| * trust - how does a potential customer know that | | | | used an agency (good), remember to keep track of |
| they can trust you? | | | | how it's doing. Web statistics are critical here. See |
| * professionalism - how does a potential customer | | | | what works, what doesn't and review regularly. |
| know you have expertise in your particular market or | | | | |