Every small business needs a website, but what should you include on the site? You know your customers look online first, and you want your site to provide the important information that will encourage them to buy your product or service. You also need this site to be affordable, mobile friendly, easy to maintain, and effective.
Start Simple
Most small business websites include five pages:
- Homepage with Business Description: When a potential customer visits your site, you need help them understand what you’re selling immediately and what they can expect if they choose to use your product or service. Avoid jargon terms on your homepage and remember the classic business advice, “A confused mind always says ‘no.’”
- Contact Information/ Hours of Operation: If you own a brick-and-mortar location, your site needs an address, phone number and correct hours at the absolute minimum. This is key for successful local search marketing. How many times have you tried to visit a local small business, only to find out they listed the hours incorrectly online… Would you try to visit again?
If your business is online-only, make sure you give a clear way to contact you. Whether that’s a contact form, an email address, or a phone number. - List of Services: Now your customer is ready to move past the homepage introduction and explore your services. When creating this list, include a short description of the service and how it will help your client. It’s always a good idea to include starting prices on your site, so you can weed out the customers who can’t afford you and begin working with the perfect audience.
- About Us page: This is where you get to share a little more about your experience and background. This description should be aimed at your client and how you are best qualified to help them. Surprisingly, the About Us should be more about the client and less about you.
- Blog: Maybe you think your small business website doesn’t need a blog, but this can be a great place to showcase your knowledge of the industry and recent success stories. As an added bonus, regularly updating a blog tells Google that your business is alive and helps boost the site in search results.
How much will this small business website cost me?
If you’re just starting out in your business or building a website for the first time, you want something affordable, but effective. Website costs vary dramatically, but it’s worth considering that “cost” is more than just money…it’s time, energy and effectiveness too.
There are so many options to make your own website… but how do you know if they’re going to bring in customers? And how many hours will it take you to build a site when you should be working on your own business?
And of course, many “affordable” options are just too cheap and might actually hurt your business in search results. For example, is that free theme mobile-friendly? Does that cheap server also host a spam site that will hurt your traffic?
Don’t forget, an option is rarely affordable when it takes you away from your family and business.
Center Street Digital provides website support, and effective marketing, so you can spend your time focusing on your passion. With several levels of service and pricing, we can build a small business website and marketing plan that will help bring in leads and new customers and fit your budget.