In today’s world running a local business without having a website is like having no business at all. Nowadays everybody walks around with a smartphone in hand, checking and searching for information in any moment. Having a constant connection over the Internet is a benefit to all of us, but turning this into an advantage for your business can be a little tricky.
First, you have to get your domain registered and find a hosting provider. If you have absolutely no idea how to choose a provider, try by speaking with different ones and see what they have to offer you. Also, you can make your own research and check comparisons in prices and quality from many other users. Having a good hosting is essential for your website.
Choosing a domain is as important as choosing your hosting too. Finding a unique domain that is also relevant to your business can be hard: a good part of them are already taken. The key here is to look for a domain name that is short, easy to remember and describes what you do best. Is should be something that stays in your client’s mind and refers to what you do. For example, if you have a shoe store in Maryland, there is a big possibility that you are not the only one and there are many other registered websites that offer the same service in the same region. Think about what makes you different and memorable and use is as an advantage for creating your brand and website.
After you obtain hosting and domain, it is time for your website design. This step is important, as the design is the first thing your client sees after entering your website. Opt for a theme that is responsive and good-looking at the same time. There are many web designers out there who can help you with this matter. Trust their opinion, as they are the professionals in their area. In many cases, having numerous tabs, many colors and big shiny captions can hurt more than you think. Consulting a user experience specialists is also something you can consider. After all, no one likes to spend minutes in scrolling up and down and clicking on tabs just to find a simple piece of information. Make your website as simple as possible.
Once your website is ready, filling it with relevant content and information should be among your top priorities. It can take you a lot of time, especially if you are creating a website that contains many articles or blog posts, but doing it correctly is always better than roughly filling in sparse information. After making this process smooth, with regular upload of relevant content on your website, it is time to think about more exposure.
Social medias can be in much of a help for you, when you are building your brand name. Your main focus here is to attract people to your website. When running social media campaigns, you should remember that your advertisements or posts must be direct and catchy. With the human attention span going down each year ( 8 secs for generation Z ) grabbing the attention of your audience must happen in seconds. Try to build up your audience slowly with organic reach, instead of putting money and getting more people who are less likely to be your prospects.