With so much of our business management focus going on how we manage our online functions and how to capitalize on those ideas, it’s no wonder that many small business owners can often be left confused and wondering what on earth to do next.
So we’ve had a look at some of the best web builders that you can use to build your website if a dedicated marketing agency is not quite within your budget yet. Now, with that being said, it is always a good idea to get some professional help when it comes to building your website, so if it’s not in your financial plan to do it right away, start planning for it in the future.
Now, the great thing about the sites we’re going to be exploring today, is that most of them offer a free or trial period to help you get started and for you to learn how to navigate their sites and start building your own site, but there are so many platforms to do this with it can be confusing trying to figure out which one will work the best for you. So, let’s get busy exploring.
WHY DO YOU NEED A WEBSITE?
We should hardly have to expand on this question, but believe it when we say that if you don’t have a decent website with a solid sales function built into that website, you’re losing thousands of potential dollars – every.single.day. Let’s look at some facts:
- ‘Rarely or Never’ is how often 70% of people in the US use a phone book, with 60% using the internet (that should be enough right there)
- The only age group to use print more than the internet is people over 65. This victory isn’t by much – 34% relying on Yellow Page’s books, and 14% referring to a newspaper.
- To get specific, Seattle alone has 43,000 homes without a Phonebook!
- Under the Age of 35 – more than 51 – 54% rely on search engines alone! (And that was back in 2010).
(Source)
That should give you all the motivation you need, but be that as it may, you still need to get it done right and this is where there are huge benefits to be found in using the right developer for you.
LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THE TOP ONLINE WEBSITE DEVELOPERS
Whether you’re going with an agency or you’re planning on building your website on your own, you’re still going to need the right platform and hosting service that works for you. While most hosting services pretty much do the same thing, they do come with different price points and cover as well as offer a wide range of products and services.
But by any stretch, there are five online developing tools that just about anyone can use to start or develop their business websites. All are easy to use, many offer a free trial period and all have an ‘upgrade’ function that allows you to grow your website with new and more sophisticated functions as your needs change and evolve over time.
This website makes it very easy for users to build their own sites without necessarily having the required specialist skills themselves. Wix sites are highly optimized for mobile applications and are built and maintained easily through the main website. Users don’t need to have a highly developed level of specialization to work the Wix system and there are thousands of templates and highly customizable options that make this service a firm favorite amongst first-time or new users.
This is a website builder that helps creative minds and website owners build amazing sites. Squarespace doesn’t require any coding knowledge at all and with just a bit of time, users can create beautiful websites that come complete with nice-to-haves like eCommerce checkout tools, custom domain names, and SSL certificate protection.
The company was launched back in 2003 in Maryland in the United States and initially began as just a hosting service, but it has evolved into a major player having already achieved $1 million in revenue by 2006.
The platform can be used by anyone, but the site is primarily for designers, artists, photographers, and other players in creative spaces.
Arguably the simplest, most popular way to create a website or blog, WordPress powers well over 43% of all the websites on the internet, so this means that when you’re building with WordPress, you’re aligning with a platform that truly knows what they’re doing. WordPress is an open-source content system and this means that anyone can use or modify WordPress software for free.
To put it another way, a content management system is a tool that simplifies important elements of your website, like designing and building, without the need for programming knowledge.
There are also tons of great ways that you can build a better WordPress website, so check them out.
Now, there are many more platforms available online and we encourage you to take a look at as many of them as possible to find out which platform will work the best for you and your business.
MARKETING FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES
A website (and a decent one at that), is an integral part of your business’s marketing plan and function, however, you need to make sure that you’ve done everything you can do to find the right solutions for your business because every element of marketing has a cost factor associated with it. It may be a direct cost, as in straight out of your bottom line, or a cost in terms of time investment, so getting the most out of that time is critical.
Your business cannot survive without a marketing function and your website is the digital manifestation of that plan, so it’s well worth it to do it properly. Each function on your website has to have a purpose and a call to action element, so think about that while designing your site.
Most importantly of course – have fun doing it!