Building a Website for a Small Business
Building a good website for a small business is one of the most important ways to communicate effectively with your target audience. Today's culture gets so much of their information via the Internet, and by having a site that is easy to navigate, creative, and informative, you are likely to increase your customer base, as well as provide existing customers with pertinent details of goods, services, and events. You can build a website for a reasonable price, even free, but there are some common design blunders you should avoid.
To begin, determine your budget. Can you afford a web designer? Perhaps you are a very small business and a free, basic website will suit you just fine. The first step will be to acquire a domain name. Address sellers like Go Daddy and Register.com will sell you a web address. Choose something simple and easy to remember, such as the name of your business, if it is still available. Domain names generally cost around $20 a year, so you may wish to purchase similarly phrased or commonly misspelled names in addition to your business name.
Navigation is the key element in any good website. A user should be able to find the information they need with ease. Avoid drop menus within drop menus. Arranging the front page horizontally is a good way to maximize real estate, so to speak, as most computer monitors are longer horizontally. By having menu choices arranged across the top of the page horizontally, a user has all options in front of them without having to scroll. Keep in mind that the first place the eye will look is most likely going to be the top left corner. For this reason, you should put your logo or business name in this spot.
Maintaining a good balance between an overly complicated and a dull, lifeless website is a delicate art. Too many graphics will confuse the viewer, but yet you want enough visual stimulation to keep the eye engaged. Often, a few good photos are the best way to represent your business. Use good quality photos only! Including photographs of your key leaders or team players can be a great way to personalize the site and establish credibility. Also keep in mind how easy your website is to find. Search engines, and therefore your potential customers, can find your website if you include and repeat 50 to 100 keywords in your text that your target audience is likely to search. Websites built with Flash or that use too many graphics have a tendency to confound search engines.
There are many good free website-building companies that may be just what your business needs. Some of these top sites are Moonfruit, Weebly, and Jimdo. Each of these companies has free packages that can be upgraded for a small fee to include more options. Most of these web building sites will allow you to build your website using a template. Some have more options for creativity than others. If it is your intention to merely have a site to provide contact information, basic descriptions and a few photos, these free, simple, and easy sites work well for the beginning business.
