Is Your Small Business One of the 80% With a Below-Par Website?
In this digital day and age, having a website is an important part of running a successful small business. However, just having a website doesn't mean that your business will be a success. A quality website is what you should strive for but unfortunately, the majority of small businesses do not have a website that is up to scratch.
Following tough economic times, Brits have become entrepreneurial and decided to be their own boss. The only inevitable draw-back of this is the fact that many markets are now completely over saturated. If you were to search Shrewsbury web design, Sheffield plumbers or Liverpool electricians, every single industry is inundated with small businesses working hard to compete against one another.
At such a competitive time to be in business, having a quality, stand out website is imperative. According to recent reports, the majority of Britain's small businesses have made the move to the online world, with 81% having a website of their own. However, 80% of small businesses have websites which are considered to be below standard and unsuitable for 2013.
The vast majority of small business websites are static, template websites which are likely to have been built on an automated system. You may have recognised the fact that many trade websites look the same, it is likely that they have been sold a static website from a large company. These static websites tend to have a limit on pages and no content management system. No content management system means no website amends - no adding photos, no adding pages and no adding customer reviews. On the rare occasions that customers find these websites, they are very unlikely to convert.
The problem which many small businesses face is the fact that they are not web design experts so they don't know where to look and how much to spend. These companies already forked out for a below-par static website and are probably concerned about the same happening again.
When setting up a website, look for a company that can offer you a website with a content management system. This allows you to "log in" to a website and add pages as you please, with the ability to amend content when required or add photos to your website.
A good website is always dynamic and offers customers a range of information including special offers, news, blogs and testimonial pages.
The secret to a good website is thorough planning, quality content and good marketing. Planning involves working out who your target customer is and creating your website around their needs. Consider who your target demographic is and consider what they would be looking for in your business. If your demographic is older customers, a website should be easy to use and cater for those with poor vision, for example.
Following tough economic times, Brits have become entrepreneurial and decided to be their own boss. The only inevitable draw-back of this is the fact that many markets are now completely over saturated. If you were to search Shrewsbury web design, Sheffield plumbers or Liverpool electricians, every single industry is inundated with small businesses working hard to compete against one another.
At such a competitive time to be in business, having a quality, stand out website is imperative. According to recent reports, the majority of Britain's small businesses have made the move to the online world, with 81% having a website of their own. However, 80% of small businesses have websites which are considered to be below standard and unsuitable for 2013.
The vast majority of small business websites are static, template websites which are likely to have been built on an automated system. You may have recognised the fact that many trade websites look the same, it is likely that they have been sold a static website from a large company. These static websites tend to have a limit on pages and no content management system. No content management system means no website amends - no adding photos, no adding pages and no adding customer reviews. On the rare occasions that customers find these websites, they are very unlikely to convert.
The problem which many small businesses face is the fact that they are not web design experts so they don't know where to look and how much to spend. These companies already forked out for a below-par static website and are probably concerned about the same happening again.
When setting up a website, look for a company that can offer you a website with a content management system. This allows you to "log in" to a website and add pages as you please, with the ability to amend content when required or add photos to your website.
A good website is always dynamic and offers customers a range of information including special offers, news, blogs and testimonial pages.
The secret to a good website is thorough planning, quality content and good marketing. Planning involves working out who your target customer is and creating your website around their needs. Consider who your target demographic is and consider what they would be looking for in your business. If your demographic is older customers, a website should be easy to use and cater for those with poor vision, for example.
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