Why do I need a website?
For the last 20 years, the internet has become an important aspect of doing business. While business owners in 1991 may has wondered how the internet could work for them, in the 21st century, being accessible on the web has become a requirement. Having a working and attractive website that is not only geared toward your client but also easy for them to navigate not only increases potential sales, it also opens a whole new world of advertising possibilities. Having a website gives you an online presence that can be easily shared in a technological world. Even service industries can benefit from an informational online website that offers information and updates about your company.
If you are in the retail industry, selling is going to be a main focus for your online site. You can increase sales by offering your wares in cyberspace and also update customers on upcoming sales, offer new buyer discounts, and invite people into your physical store.
For service or freelancers, your website allows you to reach far beyond local advertising. This is especially important if you are offering services that are not confined to a small area. In a technological era, more and more people are offering services to others across the globe. Allow your website to give others a feel not only for what you do but what you can offer. Think of your website as a tool to showcase your talents and your personality. Break away from being too simple or too literal. Allow your website to project the image of your services while combining your own enthusiasm for your industry.
How often should I update my content?
Online visitors are going to get bored with the same content on a page. Updated information lets your audience know that you are present. However, the answer to how often you should change your web content can vary. For a retail business, it is recommended that you change your content at least bi-weekly. This gives the opportunity to update any items in stock, highlight sales, and advertise upcoming products that may drive more people into your physical location.
For service industries, you can get away with updating a little less often, but your content should still be updated on a monthly basis. Adding new content is often a tactic that can help more than changing what you have on your page. If your industry changes infrequently, you may want to incorporate a blog or RSS that is updated on a daily or weekly basis.
How to I bring more people to my webpage?
Aside from traditional advertising, the best ways to bring new people to your website is utilizing the cyber world to its fullest. Social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn are one of the easiest ways to bring new customers to you. Be sure to have fan pages that are updated frequently and link back to your site now and then. Remember that social media sites should be used for social purposes and not selling alone. Create a symbiotic relationship between your social media pages and your website where your website is the selling platform and the social media site is your online persona. Provide links on your webpage to your Facebook or Twitter accounts so that people can see both sides of your company.
Another way to bring more people to your webpage is by having a presence in the online search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) allows you to highlight keywords for your page and attract users on major search engines to find your page. Consider incorporating keywords to your writing that are natural without overdoing it. You can also consider hiring an expert in SEO to magnify your page in order to bring your page to the top of the list when people are searching for a specific keyword online.
Lastly, perhaps one of the biggest ways to bring people to your page is by word of mouth. There is still a lot to be said about quality service, great products, and making the customer happy. People who are pleased with your small business are bound to talk about it. Let your customers know that you have a website and market your page on business cards or in your store. Let them know that if they like your products or services that you always have updated information on your businesses webpage.
What is the easiest way to update my website’s content?
While you can hire someone to promote your site and update the content for you, as a small business owner you may not be able to afford these services. If you are looking to update your content on your own consider creating your website through a company such as www.godaddy.com which has an online template that makes your website for you and all you have to do is input the words and images for your company’s content. If you want to utilize a blog, www.wordpress.com offers both blogs and website combinations that bring everything together.
I offer services for a specialized market. How do I explain what I do so that others will understand? Can I use graphs or images to convey my message?
People like to look at images but the key to making images, graphs, or charts work is that they have to be understandable. A company or person may need your services and not even know it. For example, if you are a small business that offers services for data analytics, your own work may be a bit technical. Other businesses can definitely use what you do, but how do you get them to know that? The easiest way is to keep it simple and explain your business as if people have no idea what it is. Steer clear of explaining your process. Rather, explain in simple terms what you can do for them. Also, back any possibly confusing images up with a simple explanation of what it means. Do not rely on images to make your point, but instead, use them as a way to highlight the point that you are trying to make.
