If you have a business, you need a website. There really is no way around it. Most people use their phones, tablets, or laptops to get information about products and/or services. They check for reviews, coupon codes, and often blogs. In the growing population buyers want to click a button and order their products or services straight from a sales page. In today’s marketplace a website is vital to sustained success.

Why do you need a website?

A website helps to build expertise and authority. A website gives a platform to build your brand and sale your products or services in one place. Your business needs a place to call home on the internet. Social media is great for promoting and engaging, but everything should lead back to your website. Links are your friends and every post you make should lead back to your business website.

Basic components to your website

There are a few basics that are true of every website. You must have domain name first and foremost. Often it is your business name at .com. There are other options such as .net, .biz, .org, this list goes on. It should be easy to remember and bring your business instantly to mind.This should be something you obtain early in your business growth, right after getting your business license and registering your business name. Many names are already taken and a domain name can become pricey real estate

Your domain name can be bought through many different website hosts. Do your homework, some are better than others. There are many sites that do a site comparison, look at several of them. The domain name is going to be your online url, the address where customers and potential customers will learn about your services and/or products. You will want the site to be secure and protected so that customers can feel safe using their credit/debit cards to do business with you.

There are several options on how to set up your website. There are drag and drop hosts that a beginner can set up in a very short time. Then there are sites that you must know or learn coding and other website building skills. It depends on how much control you want over your brand. After setting up the shell of your website you will need to decide how many pages you need and what they will tell your customers.A few examples of website pages are, a landing page, a contact page, a portfolio, a sales page, and/or a blog. The pages you set up should reflect your business and your brand.

A website should convey what you want your target market to think about you. It should be your home base. Everything should lead back and start from there. Make it welcoming, clear, fresh, and professional. Customers also need to know additional ways to interact with you via their chosen social media platforms, so have those social media buttons prominently. A webpage is your home on the internet with a little planning it will help you succeed in your small and home business goals.
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