Small business need Websites not just Facebook pages

If you’re asking yourself “I am only a small business, do I really need a website as well as a Facebook page?” then this blog is for you!

First thing is if you think a website alone will bring in business, you’re wrong! For a small business a website is more like a brochure, it’s a simple but very effective way of showcasing your work/products as well as defining your brand and business values.

Now you’re thinking “But Facebook can now show off my products and tell people about my business”. Well yes it can however there are still two flaws to only using a social media platform:

It’s not yours – Facebook regularly redesigns and changes its policies and you have no choice but to embrace these changes.
Ranking in local search – Matt Cutts says that to the best of his knowledge, Google does NOT use signals from social media as a direct ranking factor for search.

Don’t be put off from using social media it’s an excellent way to engage with your target audience and drive traffic to your site. As a small business using social media will help you find your voice and make your brand more personable. Content marketing gives you the opportunity to compete with much larger companies, you can find out more here.

So now you need to be thinking about your website and what on earth are you going to put on it? How many pages should it be and where should you start? Here are 4 great tips to help you get started with a new website.

Content

I know it’s not what you wanted to think about but it’s the backbone to your site. Think about it like this, if you bought a magazine based on the good looking cover and catchy headlines only to discover that it added no value and was not useful. Would you ever buy it again?

That is why they say “Content is King”. Your content needs to tell your customers how you can help, why they need your product and what it does. There is nothing worse than landing on a website of something that looks cool but you can’t for the life of you work out what it is.

Goals

Write down a clear a brief and use this to outline the goals you wish to get from your site, then make sure you keep these in mind when designing your website. For example if your goal is to get users to fill in a form, then make sure the form is in a clear location and is shown more than once to help optimise your conversion rates.

Branding and design

If you are a start-up company or just a very small business, now is the time to truly brand yourself. Take the time to determine exactly what your business is and who is your target audience. Think about logos, colours and images. Also don’t forget your business domain, make sure it’s easy to remember and spell.

Layout

Do some research and check out other brands websites; make notes of what you do and don’t like. However try to make sure that you always cover these key points

Your navigation is clear and easy to use. It needs to be logical, remember your goals!
Don’t overdo it. No one likes shopping in an over crowded and dis-organised shop.
Give contact details. Make sure users can find phone numbers, address or social media accounts, sometimes you just want to ask a simple question.

Whether you are planning to build the site yourself or are asking for some help, getting these four points covered will save you time and money. If you have any questions drop them in the comment box below.

For key tips on how to improve your website, download this award-winning guide, 25 Website Must-Haves for Driving Traffic, Leads & Sales.