Having a website is not an optional thing these days. Every business needs to be online. And since the pandemic hit, that has never been more true. But, what can you do to get your business online in such a competitive environment and get noticed?
There is good news. Working with a web developer doesn’t have to feel like a dreaded task. You can find someone that is friendly and personable so that the process feels comfortable and fun.
Here are the four things you can do today to get your business online.
1. Decide on a Domain
Many people have a great idea for a business and find that after a long time of planning and getting things built and designing a logo and getting a name registered for their business there is no domain available to match their plans. So, first things first. Get that domain purchased before deciding on anything else. There are several ways to do it. My favorite way is to go to namecheap.com and enter the name of the domain you want to purchase. If it’s available, great! Purchase it. If not, search for something else. Don’t fall into the trap of buying a domain without owning the .com version. Most people type in .com out of habit. If you don’t own the .com, you’re just sending someone else a lot of traffic.
2. Think About The Goals of Your Business
What do you want people to do with your business online? Do you want them to purchase things online? Do you want them to find out information about your business and call you? Or, do you want them to leave their email address in order for you to market to them more? All of these questions will help determine the direction you need to go to get your business online.
You see, not all websites have the same end goal in mind. Your business goals and your customer flow will help us to determine what type of website you need. Having these goals in mind will help clear the path to take forward.
3. Think About Your Brand and Your Voice
How do you want people to see your company? Do you want to build trust and come across as someone they can turn to? Do you want to feel corporate and big? Or, maybe you want to have a little quirkiness and make people laugh. All of these things go into branding your business.
When you’re ready to get your business online, you will need to put some serious thought into how you want your business to appear to your customers. The last thing you want is a confusing, mismatched message every time. Decide on a brand image and stick with it. Find out what attracts your favorite people to work with and you can be that type of business.
4. Get Your Business Online
Once you’ve done the hard work of finding a domain, thinking through your goals and your brand, you can call on a good web developer who will listen to your goals and ideas. Let their expertise guide you through the process of making a statement on the web. If you have strong feelings about how something should go, don’t be afraid to let them know. But, also be open to suggestions that may help your business do better online.
Be prepared to spend some money on this part of the process. You’re investing in your business and it will be something you will need to be updating every few years. Of course, you can find someone willing to make you a website for a few hundred dollars, but it will always look like the neighbor’s kid built it for you. And, without the proper markup and marketing layout, it will never perform as intended.
Having a good presence on the internet is vital in today’s world where people expect to find everything they need online. Take steps today to get your business online. And when you’re ready to call a web developer, please consider us.