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Websites for Small Businesses

Websites for Small Businesses

The future is now. The future is here. What does this mean? What this means is that if you are a small business owner and you do not have a presence on the web then you could be in trouble.

Websites for small businesses are almost essential depending on the type of business you own or manage. Having a website can make a big difference in how you bring in new clients and keep current ones.

It is estimated that more than half of small businesses do not have a website and since the world today has become very digital it is wise to follow the crowd. As a small business, keeping up with technology and people is critical in keeping your business alive and well.

If you own or operate a small business without a website, no need to fret. We will go over some ideas, tips, and suggestions for you that will help you when it comes to websites for small businesses.

Websites for Small Businesses – eCommerce

If you are not familiar with the term eCommerce there is no need to worry. eCommerce is a word that is unfamiliar to many small businesses still. E-commerce actually means electronic commerce and it involves the transfer of information across the internet. E-commerce websites for small businesses are websites that involve selling products online. Expanding your small business by selling your products online rather than just in your store can increase sales and greatly increase the exposure of your small business.

There are free e-commerce applications out there for use such as: osCommerce, OpenCart, Magento, VirtueMart, and Woocommerce.

What are the Benefits of Websites for Small Businesses

Websites for Small Businesses - website template
There are a multitude of benefits when it comes to websites for small businesses. First and foremost, a website can give your customers another way to reach you. Before the internet, customers had to use the telephone or stop by your business in person. Now the convenience of the internet has made it easier to contact businesses.

A website that displays vital information such as business hours, location, menu’s, sale items, and other useful information can make a big difference since 3.2 billion people worldwide use the internet. A website not only can be used to display information but it can be used to advertise or for marketing purposes. You can use your online presence to boost sales and exposure dramatically if used correctly.

Managing Websites for Small Businesses

Don’t worry if you don’t know how to manage a website. There are many companies that provide website maintenance services at affordable prices. There are also content management systems available that make it easy for anyone to manage their own website. Content management systems such as WordPress of Joomla! are free and offer full website management and customization.

The Cost of Websites for Small Businesses

Start up businesses don’t always have a lot of money to put forth on certain things such as a website. Websites for small businesses can actually be very affordable depending on how you go about getting one. If you have the time to learn how to use a content management system you can benefit greatly from it. There are free content management systems out there that you can manage and customize with ease.

If you are looking to hire a web designer then there are many options available. Web designers come in all shapes and sizes and prices vary depending on what you need. Standard small business websites can start out at $300 and can get up in the thousands depending on how much time the web designer spends on the design process.

Hosting Websites for Small Businesses

If you plan on getting a website for your small business you will need to find a web host. Web hosting companies host your website so that it can be viewable on the internet and available to your visitors. For a single website web hosting can be inexpensive as long as your website doesn’t get a lot of traffic. If you need a large website or if your website get thousands of visitors per day then you will have to spend a bit more to host your website. A few great web hosting companies are Web Hosting Hub, Bluehost, Inmotion Hosting, and Siteground.

How to get Started with Websites for Small Businesses

If you are interested in getting a website setup for your small business it is recommended to follow a few steps before you begin:

  • Find out what type of website you need and use that to determine if you want to hire a web designer or create the website yourself.
  • Determine the costs and set a budget
  • Research other web design aspects that you may want to consider looking into such as SEO, blogging, website functionality, social media integration, landing pages, publishing relevant content, and email marketing.
  • Pick out a domain name and register it
  • Pick out a web host
  • If content will be changing regularly on your website, determine if you will be making the changes or if someone else will.
  • Look in to website backups

With the information provided here you should now have a basic understanding of what you need to do to get a small business website up and running. This is only meant to contain basic information and it doesn’t contain a step-by-step procedure for getting a website up for your small business.

Feel free to ask questions or leave comments below.

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