You are probably a small business owner or on the verge of starting one if you are reading this. Either way, best of luck. Starting a business isn’t straightforward and requires diligent planning, execution, and strategy. In today’s digital age, a website can either make or break your business as it legitimises and builds credibility and that’s why, around 73% of small businesses have a website today. The best part is that building a website for small businesses is easier than ever thanks to the arrival of low-code and no-code website builders.

Gone are the days when building a website involved hours of coding and technical prowess. Today, there is a dazzling array of user-friendly website builders for small businesses and templates that lift the burden off your shoulders. Even then, you should know where to start.

This article takes you through the entire process of building a website from scratch, covering points to consider while creating one.

 

Steps to Setup a Small Business Website

 

Enough of small talk. Let’s get straight to business. This section serves as a step-by-step guide to help you to create a website for your small business.

First things first, you should know why you are building a website by outlining your goals and what you are looking to achieve with it.

1.Define Your Website’s Purpose & Goals

Image navigating a maze blindfolded. You are not only lost but also have no clue about the road ahead. You are stepping into the unknown. Creating a website without defining your goals and a clear purpose is similar, and that’s the last thing your small business needs for it to succeed online.

  • Understand Your Target Audience

Before you get going, it is crucial to know who you are creating the website for. Additionally, you need to understand their preferences, how they interact with website content, what type of content they like, and more. Do they read blogs or prefer visual content such as infographics? Create a list of questions to understand the pulse of your target audience.

  • Set Clear Goals

While it takes smart entrepreneurs to run a successful business, you need SMART website goals. What does SMART stand for? It stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

So, why does your small business website exist? Here are some of the main reasons why small businesses invest in building a website.

  • Brand awareness

  • Create a digital identity

  • Generate more leads

  • Boost sales via digital channels

  • Customer interaction

  • Customer service

  • Building an online store to increase sales

2.Choose a Web Hosting Provider

 

Firstly, pat yourself on the back for recognising the need to build a website for small business and setting clear goals. Now, the next step is to pick a reliable and reputed web hosting provider. With hundreds of options to choose from, how do you proceed? At this point, you need to pick a web hosting provider that will save and manage your data and make it available to your domain.

 

Important Things to Look for in a Web Hosting Provider

 

There are a few things to consider while choosing a web hosting provider. Let’s take a look.

  • Uptime Guarantee

Do you think your potential customers will return if they cannot access a few links on your website? Probably not. Don’t we all get put off when we see the ‘Error 400 or the Error 403’ message? Your website needs to be up and running at all times with minimal loading speeds to ensure a flawless user experience.

While broken links and downtime are frustrating for users, even Google devalues websites with such issues, hindering your ranking and organic reach. Therefore, it becomes imperative to pick a web hosting provider that will give you an uptime guarantee. We recommend picking a web hosting provider with an uptime guarantee above 99%.

We are trying to be modest here, but Crazy Domains offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee, making us one of the most trusted web hosting providers.

  • Performance and Speed

If you think your website’s overall loading speed does not matter, think again. An average human’s attention span is around <href=”#:~:text=Average%20Human%20Attention%20Span%20Statistics,than%20goldfish%20(9%20seconds).”>8 seconds, and if your website takes a few seconds to load, you are losing potential customers. Additionally, search engines like Google always prioritise websites and pages that load fast as a measure to enhance customer experience.

Therefore, it is worth checking if your web hosting service provider can always give you the best loading speeds without any fuss.

  • Data Security

You may have heard that data is the new oil. But what does it mean? It means that in today’s day and age, companies, governments, and agencies are harnessing data to identify patterns and study demographic behaviour to make informed decisions. Therefore, trusting someone with your sensitive and precious data is not easy. Pick a reputed web hosting service provider that has a track record of safeguarding data security and providing spotless customer support to ensure your digital assets and data are secured.

 

3.Register a Domain Name

 

The domain name is your company’s web address and how people are likely to find your website. Your domain name must ideally include your business name, be catchy, and be easy to remember. You want your customers to keep coming back and also spread the word, isn’t it?

For example, if your small business is called Tasty Breads, your domain name should be www.tastybreads.com. But hey, the domain name of your choice may not be available, so you need to improvise and think of a name that does not compromise your business’s identity. Crazy Domains allows you to search for domains and check their availability to ensure you find a perfect virtual address for your small business.

Now, onto the next step of creating a website for a small business.

 

4.Small Business Website Design

 

The first impression is the last and that applies to website designs as well. Kudos to you for leaving no stone unturned to ensure all the technical aspects of building a website are in place. But hey, that is just half of the job done. Do not make the same mistake many small business owners do while creating a website and that is, overlooking the user experience (UX). Did you know that as much as 75% of a website’s credibility is due to its design?

Here are a few things to consider while picking your small business website design.

  • Choose the Right Website Builder

Many business owners are torn between hiring a website designer and turning to website builders for small businesses. Well, if you are operating on a shoestring budget, it is a good idea to make a small business website using a website builder to save costs. Additionally, low-code and no-code website builders are primarily designed to help individuals without technical expertise and coding experience in building a website from scratch.

Pick the right website builder after exploring the different features, templates, and design options available. Additionally, you should also keep an eye on the SEO features and determine the overall ease of use before choosing a website builder.

  • Design and Layout

There is no doubt that your website’s design and layout have a significant impact on the way visitors perceive your small business. We are guessing no one is a fan of dull website designs with overcrowded elements and a chaotic layout. As mentioned before, your website’s design can tell your brand’s story even before you can, influencing the visitor’s trust and decision to engage with your content.

It is safe to say that your website reflects your brand’s image and all the values it stands for. Design elements including fonts, colours, and images help your brand form an identity.

The website’s layout should be neat and clean without unnecessary distractions and clutter.

  • Navigation and User Experience

Your website’s layout should help your visitors find what they are looking for without having to navigate and scroll around a lot. Remember to keep it simple with all the web elements placed neatly. The key is to add value at every step to boost customer satisfaction, and ultimately leave a positive impression on your visitors.

If you need any more convincing on why UX is an important aspect of building a website, here’s an interesting piece of information for you. Studies suggest that companies stand to make $100 for every dollar they spend on improving their site’s user experience.

 

5.Create Website Content

 

Let’s assume that you have completed working on your website’s design and layout. What next? You can’t leave blank spaces on your website with “lorem ipsum” text; you need to start filling those spaces with compelling, engaging, and visually appealing content.

  • Crystal Clear Communication

Before your customers explore your products or services, there is a strong chance they want to know more about your small business, the mission statement, and the underlying values on which you have built your business.

Keep it simple without beating around the bush and provide answers to all the major W questions. Who are you, who works for you, what do you offer, what benefits can you provide, and why they should pick you?

  • Provide Value and Solutions

Some of the most popular content types that generally make it to the website include blogs, case studies, e-books, infographics, and podcasts to name a few. The home page should communicate what your small business has to offer, how you can add value, your achievements, and why your visitors should pick you. Talk about your product portfolio, your USP, and what sets your business apart from your competitors.

Remember, content is king and without engaging content, your website will struggle to attract visitors, appease search engines, and build a solid online presence.

 

6.Optimise Your Website for Search Engines

 

It’s time to make Google and other search engines your best friends. That said, they play a bit hard to get and that is why you need to optimise your website to enter their good books. In simple words, you need search engine optimisation (SEO).

What’s the use of building a website if your target audience cannot find you? Do not forget why you are creating a website for your small business – to build an online presence, generate new leads, and increase your customer base. This is where SEO enters the fray. You will need a robust SEO strategy to ensure your website gains visibility across different search engines. Identify relevant keywords, focus on on-page and off-page SEO, and create an SEO checklist to ensure you cover all the key aspects of SEO.

 

7.It’s Time to Launch Your Website

 

The moment has finally arrived. It is time to hit the publish button and launch the website you’ve tirelessly worked to build. Your website is ready to face the world.

But hey, publishing your website is just the first step. You need to create a buzz around the launch and spread the word that your website is now live. You can’t scream from the rooftops, but you can certainly use social media and other channels to let people know about this exciting development.

 

Tips for Setting Up a Successful Small Business Website

 

Now, let’s explore some small business website tips to ensure your audience has a smooth experience while interacting with your website.

  • Create a Mobile-friendly Website

Did you know that around 95% of internet users use mobile phones to access the internet in some way or the other? Therefore, it is crucial to create a mobile-friendly responsive website, enabling your audience to access your site via mobile devices including smartphones and tablets.

  • Use High-quality Images and Videos Only

Ask yourself whether you would interact with a website that has low-quality, blurry, and pixelated images. The answer is no, right? Your audience shares the same sentiment, making it important to upload high-quality images and videos. Images and videos add an extra layer of visual appeal, making your content more interesting.

  • Promote Your Website on Social Media

The buck doesn’t stop once you make a small business website – you need to create hype around it to attract more visitors and generate leads. Remember, your social media followers are either your existing customers or potential customers interested in your business. The onus is on you to do everything you can to get more people to look at your website, and promoting your website on social media is an effective way to do that.

 

Importance of a Website for Small Businesses

 

Here, we skim through the importance of creating a website for small businesses.

  • Establishing an Online Presence

Your website acts as the portal that teleport your audience from one corner of the internet to the focal point of your small business’s online presence. In today’s digital world, building a website is important to establish an online presence to attract customers and compete in the crowded marketplace.

  • Customer Trust

People have their guard up when they are engaging with sales and marketing content. Additionally, the rising trend of online scams coupled with data breaches has rightly created a certain degree of scepticism among people. Building a website allows you to gain their trust as it is one of the most effective ways to legitimize your small business.

  • Customer Service

Creating a website not only builds customer trust but also provides useful information related to your business. For example, typically, the FAQ system provides answers to all the questions your customers are seeking answers to.

Additionally, the contact forms and other contact details make it easier for your customers to reach out to you. Websites integrated with chatbots are in vogue today as they allow businesses to provide customer service in real time.

 

Final Words

 

Website development has evolved over the past few years thanks to the arrival of easy-to-use low-code website builders. That said, you must know the process inside out as it allows you to plan your next step without missing the key aspects of creating a website for your small business.

If your small business does not have a website (yet), it is the right time to establish your online presence, reach a wider audience, and expand the horizons of your small business. We hope you can use this article as a starting point and give your small business the much-needed digital exposure it needs.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

What is a small business website?

 

A small business website can be described as an online portal that helps small businesses showcase their products and services.

 

Why do we need a website?

 

Businesses of all shapes and forms need a website to establish an online presence, build customer trust, improve customer support, reach a wider audience, gain online visibility, and showcase their products and services.

 

Do I need technical skills to build a website for my small business?

 

The arrival of low-code and no-code website builders means that you do not need technical skills to build a website for your small business.

 

How much should a small business spend on a website?

 

While how much should a small business invest in a website depends on its budget, on average, it can cost you anything between AUD 1,200-10,000 to create a small business website depending on your requirements.

 

What is a good website size for a small business?

 

On average, a website with 4-6 pages is a good website size for a small business.

 

If you have any queries or suggestions feel free to send an email on [email protected]