Tips for Making a New Website for a Small Business
If you own or are starting a small business and are looking at having a website built, you are most likely to fall into one of these three categories:
- A brand new business that needs a brand new website.
- An existing business that needs a brand new website.
- An existing business that needs edits to an existing website.
Each of these scenarios presents unique opportunities and challenges for your professional web content writers. Today, we'd like to discuss the first scenario: A brand-new business needing a brand-new website.
Getting Started: Know Your Business and Your Audience
One of the great things about starting from scratch is having the opportunity to do thorough planning and preparation right from the start. When you're working from an established site or an established business, there are certain restrictions you have to stay consistent with what you've already created. When you're starting fresh, you really get to work from a blank page. That blank page starts with proper planning.
Elements of Proper Planning Include:
- Knowing the major features of your business. If you can explain what makes your business different from your competitors and/or what values your business espouses, you can build that identity throughout your site. Standing out is key. Also, having a concise mission statement is helpful, but not required. (If you're not sure what a mission statement is or how to craft one, Forbes has a great beginning tutorial.)
- Knowing your target audience. The language we use is important, and tailoring your language to your business' audience is essential. If you have a highly technical business and you write your website in highly technical language when your customers tend to be Average Joes who are not in your industry, your website is not going to serve your business well.
For example, Mountain Pine Dermatology could have filled its site with complex explanations of the kinds of skin cancer they assess and the treatments they use. However, while that might be a useful source for other dermatologists, it doesn't help the potential patient who is looking for a doctor. Instead, Mountain Pine uses their website to explain conditions and treatments in plain terms, providing advice on when to see one of their excellent dermatologists. The second strategy brings more business to their clinic.
- Knowing your target location. As we explained in last month's blog, building the location of your business into key places on your website matters. It helps you narrow your emphasis to people who can actually convert into customers instead of wasting your energy and resources on people who are unable or unlikely to access your services.
- Having brand identifiers ready. If you haven't already gotten a logo and/or colors chosen for your new business, now's the time. The most popular brands we all recognize have logos that we don't forget. Surge Web Design has affordable logo design packages adapted to small business needs that can help you with the brand identity you need to take the next step in your business growth.
How to Identify a Great Small Business Website
There are a lot of web design companies out there, including individuals who advertise their services but don't really have a solid understanding of what makes a great small business website. At Surge Web Design, we are constantly researching the latest techniques to get your website to the front page of search engine results to get your business the attention and traffic it deserves. We are also consistently monitoring results to see what we can change to make things better. For your ease, we've identified some key features you should see when your small business gets a new website.
Key Features Include:
- Built-in SEO. SEO is Search Engine Optimization. It is the bread-and-butter of an effective website in today's extremely crowded digital world. If your website creators are not using SEO to ensure that the appropriate keywords for your business are built into your website, and in the most effective places, then you are not going to get the results you need. You can see our page about SEO to get an introduction to the topic before surfing our blog to learn more.
- Responsive Web Design. Access to the internet is more ubiquitous than ever. Every day, people access the internet on devices ranging from smartwatches to smartphones to tablets to laptops to desktops, and every imaginable source in between. If your website is only built for one kind of device, your business information will be difficult to access. Responsive web design ensures that your website looks great, no matter where it's accessed.
- Location-Specific Content. Again, location matters. If you read your home page and can't easily see where your business is located, it's time to go back to the drawing board.
As another example, if I Google "landscaper construction," I get a whole slew of results ranging across the country with a heavy emphasis on large, national corporations. If I Google "landscaper construction Boise, ID," I immediately get access to Landscaper Construction, a company actually based in Boise, ID. If Landscaper Construction had not included their Boise location in key places throughout their site, they would not have the search result relevance that they do.
What's Next?: Keys to Maintaining a Small Business Website
Once you've gotten the help you need to build the new business website of your dreams, we have a couple of tips on how to keep you on the front page of search engine results.
Site Maintenance Tips Include:
- Regular site updates. Google looks for how current your site is, and some of that site authority comes from regular updates. A great way to keep your site current and also foster important discussion about your industry is to maintain a blog. Services like those at Surge Web Design can help.
- Current, correct contact information. If you change your showroom location, your phone number, or your email address, make sure your site administrator updates your website! Having current contact information on your webpage is absolutely essential.
If you're starting a new small business and are interested in claiming a digital footprint for your products and services, Surge Web Design is here to help. We have a fantastic team of web content writers, website designers, and SEO experts to get and keep you at the top of relevant Google results. Our goal is to bring new business to our clients, and a start-up company generally needs exactly that to survive. Let us help you build your dream by calling (208) 391-3413 or contacting us online today.