There’s always the option of buying a website. You can have someone create a website for you for $250+. The more “fancy” you make your site the more it will cost. OR, you can do what so many small businesses are doing these days and get a totally free website. Free websites, in my opinion, are the way to go, especially if you are doing minimal to no online retail. With a free website you will be able to give your customers limitless information about you, your company, your products/services, location, hours of operation and more. It’s a great way to showcase new products as you bring them in or post specials you are offering.
The problem with paid (and free) websites is that most people don’t know what the best kind of site to have is. In reality, you don’t need an expensive site to have the “best” site – just make sure you avoid the biggest mistakes –
1. One-Page Websites. A lot of businesses that are new to the online world will opt for a one-page website because it seems sufficient. In reality it’s basically worthless. A one-page website is often called a “squeeze page”. It’s generally used by businesses that want to manipulate buyers and make them “impulse buy”. One-page websites contain very little information – just enough to get a customer to want more immediate info. While this scenario may work temporarily for scammers, it’s not a good idea for a long term business. One-page websites are not very informative. Even if you attempt to load it full of every piece of info you can, it becomes confusing and hard to navigate. It is proven fact that a hard to navigate / confusing website is a total loss for business.
In addition, a One-Page website has virtually no way of ever getting found in search engines unless you run a spammy marketing campaign.
2. 3 – 5 Page Websites. All a 3 – 5 page website says to a customer is “I’m cheap”. Although designers will offer these sites; they are NOT a good bang for the buck. A 3-page site is often just as confusing to the potential customer as a One-Page site because due to the small amount of pages and the large amount of information the business owners wants to place on them, each page turns into a pile of confusing content. For example, I have seen 3-page website that have the first page laid out as “introduction”. On this page they place their company name, overview, hours of operation, location, etc. Page #2 is “Products, Ordering Information, Terms, Email Lists, Coupons” – can you say overwhelming? Then there’s page #3 “Events, Sales, Informational blurbs & More” – Good Lord. What ends up happening with sites like this is that the customer locates a product they want to order, then sees the terms, then finds coupons, then ends up reading about future sales…then goes to a site that makes sense. Total loss of business.
A 5-Page site still leave the reader with the same frustration. Your policies need to be laid out separately from products you are showcasing. Your sales need to be their own “feature” – not jumbled in with email registration lists and terms.
3. Over-Complexity. As mentioned, the *best* site doesn’t have to be the most expensive site. You DON’T need custom flashing animations (and I don’t recommend them either) or music or scrolling-strobe light-banners with color-changing-characters. Its overkill.
WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT
Here’s the top 10 list of what your customers want. Keep it simple and keep them coming back for more:
1. Who are you? Especially in small business, customers like to know who they are dealing with. Let them know about your experience, etc.
2. Where are you? If you have a physical store, give them the address, phone number, email, etc. Let them know when you are open. If you have a store or office, post a photo of it. Let your customers know you are a legitimate business that is ready to serve them. You can also include maps and driving directions if needed.
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3. What you have to offer. Clearly lay out what you sell. If you sell products, post photos of those products. If you sell services, post photos related to your services. Also, consider posting prices of your items. If you don’t have a set-in-stone price, post “starting at $__.__” or “from $__.__ to $__.__”. If you have tons of products, consider allowing customers to download PDF fliles or scan and post your catalog similar to an online restaurant menu. Which moves us onto #4…
4. Clear Division of Products – Think of websites like Macys.com or Pacific Sunwear – they divide their products into categories: Mens, Womens, Accessories, etc. If you are selling multiple “genres” of products, instead of making a customer browse through page after page of random products; separate them for quick and easy location.
5. Photos & descriptions– nothing sells products like photos and descriptions. With good photos and short, to-the-point descriptions that upsell the product, you are able to sell more and often sell more FOR MORE. Never post thumbnail size photos (unless you are using a service that allows them to enlarge when clicked.)
6. Policies. Let your customers know (in detail) what your policies are on payments, returns, etc. The more thorough you are, the more likely you are to turn online visitors into sales.
7. Sales (if applicable). If you are running a promotion or have items on sale, they should be separated from items that are full price. Sales are a great way to get rid of odds and ends and also a great way to keep shoppers coming back. Many shoppers, like myself, frequent websites and only look at the sales section. Without a “sales section” you could be losing visitors!
8. Informative Information. This is really my favorite part of my websites! No matter what field you’re in, you’re probably an expert in that field. Why not assist customers AND prove to them just how much you know? By offering free information on niche topics your potential customers will see that you are the right person to invest in. For example, if you have a food/restaurant website; offer customers a few free recipes. If you sell massage services or do acrylic nails for a living, write about “beauty tips & tricks”. Or, if you’re in real estate, give your customers some great reading material about different kinds of mortgages. This is the kind of stuff that separates a “good website” from a “great website”. Your “informative information” can be as little as 2 or 3 articles or as much as 50 articles; its all up to you.
9. Email lists. MAKE SURE, if you have a website that you post new products/ sales, etc on a constant basis that you offer customers a way to register for “email subscriptions”. How this works is simple; you sign up for a company like Feedburner (my fav) then post the link to “Subscribe via Email”. When a customer signs up, each time you post something new, they get an email with the information. This is a great way to keep customers updated on what your business is doing.
10. Updated information. Even if you don’t use Feedburner, be sure to keep up on your business website. Make sure links you provide are accurate and working. If your prices or products change, make sure you edit them as needed. There’s nothing worse than providing customers with inaccurate data!
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