Ask yourself, Do I Really Need a Website For My Business?
If you’re new to promoting yourself online you need to evaluate your business, resources, time, costs and needs. Keep reading for some handy tips plus a free worksheet to help get you started
There are many ways to make a presence on the web and a website is just one of them. Other types of web presence include social media and sites that allow customers to review your business such as Yelp and Google Plus.
To decide if you need a website for you business and what kind, you should first ask yourself these two questions
What does your business specialise in?
Who are your dream clients or projects?
What exactly do you do?
Knowing how to specialise your business can be defined by adjectives. Is you business modern, affordable, niche, fast service? Do you sell products or services online or in a local store?
Get to know everything about the type of customer you want to attract. Knowing who your target audience is will ensure you know how to market your website and also to help you locate new clients. Are your clients young or older? Are they professionals or the general public?
If your clients will typically be younger, then social media such as Twitter and Facebook could be a major source of viewers – which could mean making sure you implement social media into your website. It could also make you want to style your website in a more quirky style.
Next you need to define your goals
Do you just want people to be able to find your business address, email and phone number online so they can contact you quickly and directly? If so then a listing on a business directory or review site may be suitable for you.
If you want an online shop to sell products or services, a blog and details about what you do, a website or ecommerce site may be the better option which also gives you more flexibility.
Should your website or listing:
- Reach new and existing customers
- Allow customer interaction – comments and reviews
- Can be viewable on desktop and mobile
- Can showcase stats (e.g. awards, recommendations, testimonies)
- Be easy to update regular
Once you have your business defined, your target audience and your web goals, make sure you understand what’s provided by the different types of web presence and the costs and benefits associated.
There are also many pros and cons between having your own website and using other types of web presence such as free listings or free websites such as wix.
.
Your own site/paid site:
- Full control to customise things such as your own domain name and layout
- Allows for multiple pages
- Takes longer and is more difficult to set up
- Requires ongoing maintenance
Listing Service/Free Sites
- Are free or have low costs
- Are quick and easy to set up
- Limited control to customise things such as the domain name, layout, and functionalities provided
Things to Keep in Mind
How you plan to maintain your website and online presence and how much time can you dedicate to this. Also your budget for hosting and domains. You may need maintenance for protecting against hackers, removing spam, responding to comments on your site etc.
Use all these tips to figure out what you’re trying to achieve in the long run. This will help you decide which web presence is best for your business.
Its as simple as – Yes I need/want a website to promote or expand my business. No I don’t need a website, social media or Yell will do.
Download my handy worksheet to help you along the way!
QUICK TIP Why not print out this help sheet and use the checklist as you go alongDid you decide to have a website or stick to a free listing or social media? Let me know in the comments!