If your business is starting small, a small website may become your newest ally in business. 

Do you want to keep your small business small or do you have the vision to grow your business?  If you have a plan to grow, a website is an important area to think about when trying to establish a strategy for brand awareness and growth. We outline some of the reasons you should consider and then give some tips and advice for starting out the project. It’s an exciting and important part of every small business journey. 

Developing a website has never been easier!  There are plenty of platforms to develop a basic website with crucial information to communicate your brand offering. You don’t need to know how to write code or even how to be a graphic designer, however, communication is crucial. Customers want to look up your brand and know what you’re all about. The personality of your products and service needs to be clear. As a small business, entrepreneurs have the ability to create a story that directly speaks to their niche. Digital Marketing is an important platform for small business communication. 

Still not sure if you should get a website for your startup or small business? 

Have a look at some of the key reasons why VIMAR believe you should consider a professional website.

  • Primarily allows you to showcase your Products and Services
  • It has become widely expected by your customers
  • Allows for ease of contact or directions to premises 
  • Allows for recommendations and reviews
  • You control your brand story
  • It’s easier than ever to develop
  • Your competitors are surely doing it well
  • Remain open for business with eCommerce options
  • Allow search engines to find you (SEO) [1]
  • Collect data through forms or host tutorials

Web Design Laois

Once you’ve realised you probably need a website, where should you start? 

You need to achieve some key steps in the process:

  1. Register your domain
  2. Choose a platform for development
  3. Host your Website
  4. Make a plan for what you want your site to do
  5. Develop all the content for your site
  6. Develop a design for how your site should look like
  7. Test and Launch the Website 

This is the basic process that needs to be followed by every small business website development [2] project. Still not sure what to do?  At VIMAR, our design and development process takes all the hassle away from the development process. Our designers create a unique branded website that communicates your brand message.

Website Development Laois

You should also consider some more key factors when designing your site. Be sure to read our advice below:

  • Build a consistent offering that is matched to your brand identity. You should identify your unique branding elements.
  • Create content that is original and relevant to your users.  Quality engaging content is what drives relevant traffic. 
  • Encourage users to scroll through the landing/home page. This gives you a great opportunity to introduce several key elements of your brand.
  • Find all errors and don’t leave anything broken.  Broken links and clear errors don’t impress your customer. 
  • Guide users with clear navigation routes. Call to actions (CTA) ensure your website achieves its main purpose. 
  • Include social media [3] share and follow buttons. Encourage your audience to shout about your content. 
  • Mobile friendly is a necessity. More and more traffic is only by mobile devices.
  • Your Domain must be relevant. Be relevant and communicate the URL you have chosen. 
  • Update the aesthetics of the site periodically. Keep things interesting and fresh.
  • Remove generic imagery and ambiguous terminology. Create a unique experience that sells YOUR Business.
  • An SEO strategy is essential for greater exposure. Unless you can be found in search engines, how can you get more clients? 
  • Test the website, then test again. It’s got to work and work well. 
  • Use colour and lack of colour appropriately. Be clear, clean and present your brand aesthetically well. 
  • Use content specific to your target audience. Being relevant and engaging is the core reason for marketing success.
  • Choose an appropriate hosting plan. Don’t over or under host your content. 
  • Make the security of users’ information a priority. Be safe, and don’t put your users at jeopardy. 
  • Use up to date plugins and features on the website. This needs to be managed and updated to ensure that your resource is maintained. 
  • Optimise file sizes to create a faster loading site. Don’t slow it all down by uploading large files.  Keep it fast, otherwise, the users will close your page and move on. 
  • Use professional website management services where appropriate.  Keeping it professional is always a great option when you have the resources. This allows you to focus on the areas of the business where you bring the most value. 

As always, VIMAR Digital Marketing is here to talk about any digital marketing projects that you may have. The process is simple, reach out by phone or message and we can guide you through the process in a professional manner.