Every company, no matter how big or small, has to have an online presence in order to reach a wide range of customers and bolster a financial plan. Without social media accounts and a website, the small business could have problems finding and keeping clients.
For many entrepreneurs, creating a website could sound like a difficult challenge. However, with today's ever-evolving technology, reaching that goal is easy. Better yet, domain names are relatively cheap, meaning the simple steps toward establishing a company site won't drain a business banking account.
In fact, it should lead to added profits and a stronger company. With that in mind, here are some steps to get started:
Create a sound plan
Like with many aspects of a small business, building a website needs to start with a plan. According to AllBusiness.com, entrepreneurs must decide what this marketing tool will do for them.
There are several potential answers to this question. For example, it could remain relatively unchanged for long periods of time, simply providing an attractive place for customers to go to educate themselves about the products and services. Or, it could be used as a place to post content to demonstrate the industry expertise of the business. If this is the chosen route, new articles should be uploaded frequently. In addition to these two options, a website could also serve as an online storefront. Figuring out which option works best for the company is the first step because it factors into development, design and layout.
Design with navigation in mind
After the goal of the website is determined, small business owners have to then purchase a domain name. These typically cost around $20 a year, so it may be smart to pick up multiple ones that sound alike to prevent confusing sites from appearing in the future.
According to Forbes, the next step would then be creating a design that focuses on navigation. A user-friendly layout is of primary importance for any website, and visitors have to be able to find what they are looking for quickly. If this isn't the case, there is a good chance they'll decide to move on to a competitor. For example, consider a menu that runs horizontally across the top, to capitalize on the width of most computer monitors. Simple is often better, and having menus inside of menus could lead to a confusing, muddled website.