Businesses today must look at establishing a presence online. An ever-increasing amount of buying and selling occurs online. A website also serves as a source of information about a company for potential customers. A professional website can pay for itself in a short amount of time.
Budget Website Production
A small start-up company may only need a simple site with a few pages describing products or services. Do-it-yourself or budget website services exist for this type of need. Some of these services are free, or cost a minimal amount. Business owners can at least list their business in a directory for free to establish an online presence.
Microsoft Office
The Microsoft Office Live package includes a 500 mb website and business email accounts. A company domain name is also included. Small start-ups may find this a valuable service. The package is free and Microsoft hosts the website for free.
Web Designers
If the funds are available, a professional web designer can be an asset in setting up a new website. The end result will be definitely more professional and user-friendly than going the do-it-yourself route. A local web design agency can often provide great service with reasonable prices. A good designer can tell the owner what is needed most and how to achieve it.
A web designer should meet and discuss the business with the owner. Constant communication and feedback is the key to getting a proper website. Sometimes a small start-up can get lost in the shuffle with a big design agency. An independent web developer may be able to spend more time and deliver a more specific product.
Choosing a Web Designer
Ask other local business owners if they have used a web designer. Check out local websites online and find ones that operate efficiently. The designer or design company is usually credited somewhere on the site. Web design directories are available online that list many different designers.
Website Must-Haves
A business website should be easy to navigate and should clearly relate to customers what the company is all about. Contact information for the company should be easily accessible.
Everyone seems to want a business web site even if there is no real point to their business having one. Just because the internet can be a good medium to sell yourself it does not mean it will suit every business and also think of the time and cost that goes into setting one up and the maintenance, you could be doing something more beneficial with your time.
I paid for a web site for my hair salon, it looks great but I do not get any business through it. When people phone to book appointment I ask where they found me and very few people say from my web site.