Having a website is essential in having a reputable business in our digital age, and is a key part of marketing. Whomever your customer, they will be looking for your website as their first point of contact with your business – if your website is non-existent, poorly functioning, or doesn’t reflect your business effectively, it will have a negative impact on your customer’s experience.
If you need help grasping what your website needs in terms of functionality, design and content, ask other business owners or a mentor you have in the industry, or look at a competitor’s website for inspiration.
Having a reputable website will add to your overall marketing success – this can include sales from your website, customers engaging with you by contacting your business, creating email subscriptions, and displaying your products/services to your customers.
Your digital strategy is key to helping you implement the right technology and processes to support your online goals: for example you may need an online booking system that clients can easily use to make their own appointments with you, or perhaps implement an eCommerce platform to make shopping on your website simple and seamless.
How to create a website
There are many ways you can get your website up and running, and while it’s dependant on your business’s operations, there are inexpensive platforms such as WordPress, SquareSpace or Wix that can help you build a website to their template.
If you want something customisable to your taste and operations, while being easy to update and extremely user-friendly, there are marketing agencies or website developers that will help you build your website from the ground-up.
They can also help with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) words so your website can appear high in search engines when your customers look for your products or services.
Maintaining your online presence
While you may have built your website and added in your relevant content, your website should be a living, breathing asset in your business. When a menu item has been updated, a price has changed, or trading hours are new, you must update your website and social media accounts accordingly to avoid confusion amongst your customers.
Your online existence is vital for your business; your customers will go to your website or social pages before contacting your business directly. If your online presence does not reflect your business properly, whether it’s pricing, description of services, or incorrect details like location, this can result in loss of customers and profits.
Not sure how to keep up-to-date with your online presence? Simply ask a tech-savvy friend, another business owner whose website and social pages you admire, or seek advice from a marketing consultant.