If you’re a startup then a website is a crucial part of your business and will help you develop your identity as well as educate your customers about what you do.
At StudioRav we specialise in working with new business startups and SMEs from the very first initial discussion about your website to getting it live and keeping it updated.
Getting the website actually set up is just a small part of things however and you need to be aware of the bigger picture when you start your new venture.
1. What is your budget?
Let’s get the money issue out of the way first.
Firstly, everyone has a budget but if yours is low or you are struggling with money then your simplest options might be to use social media or free page builders from GoDaddy or Wix and others.
With these platforms you will get the ability to add content yourself and you can get things like hosting or email set up too. The downside obviously is that you have to take time to build the pages, pick a design, write everything up etc.
If you are confident in your own ability, and you have the time, then these options might save you some money.
On the other hand, if you would prefer a professional to set up the website for you – that’s where we come in. We can assist you with content, finding images, registering your domain, hosting, setting up your email, SSL certificates, SEO and a lot more.
At the end of the day your website is a vital element of your marketing and business identity so it’s worth investing in.
2. What do you want to tell your customers?
Your website is your very own part of the internet which you control. You can decide how it looks, how it works, what it says, what it means.
Think about what you want to share with your customers about your business. Maybe you want to tell them about your products and services, maybe it’s about how great you are and show some case studies.
Whatever you decide, you need to arrange your pages into some sort of easy to use order which will keep your customers interested.
At StudioRav we can help you with the content and also the design to ensure that your website is modern, easy to use and looks nice too.
3. Grow your website over time
Search engines love fresh content and this seems to help with SEO and rankings. Therefore it’s a good idea to have a blog or news section on your site which you constantly add to and update.
By doing this you are not only keeping your website interesting and current, you also have a space to develop and grow your business.
Think about what you can share with your customers over time – examples could be industry news, case studies, special offers, blogs from your team, what you’ve been up to etc.
StudioRav can help you with content marketing by putting together regular blog posts and items over time based on your feedback and suggestions.
You are the expert on your business and we can help get your message out there. We also provide website management services to assist with general maintenance such as updating plugins, backups, security and much more.
4. Drive traffic to your website
The website on it’s own won’t set the world on fire – you have to promote it too. If you have a shop or physical store then plaster your website address all over it, do flyer drops, put up posters.
Online you can share your website via your social media pages, some forums and blogs allow this or you can do paid advertising.
PPC (pay per click) such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads can drive traffic to your site quickly but think about which page your visitors will land on and how you are going to convert them into actual customers.
Give people a reason to come to your website. For example, maybe they can view your latest offers and deals there, or you have a download or special information which can’t be obtained from anywhere else.
Make your website the focal point of your marketing and encourage customers to look at it in order to benefit from something.
5. Always think about closing the deal
When your customer lands on your website – what next? Converting a visitor into a customer is key and that’s why you should have calls to action (such as buy now or get in touch forms) all over.
If someone lands on a page about a particular service then make it easy for them to start a conversation with you and find out more. Help your customers understand what you do and how you can actually help them move forwards.
At StudioRav we can guide you on getting the right information on your page without doing a hard-sell to your customers.
The last thing people want is to be forced or annoyed, but you do need to share your skills and proposition to them in the right way.
6. Don’t stress yourself out too much
If you are a business owner or entrepreneur then you’ll probably have lots on your plate. As a small business owner there are lots of things to do and often you have to do them all yourself.
However let’s keep things in perspective – it’s only a website and it’s never the end of the world. We’ve had experience of clients fussing over the tiniest of the details and obsessing over things which customers would never even notice.
Ultimately we want to give you a stress-free experience of working with us and part of that is to understand that not everything will be perfect first time round but we will keep working towards that goal with you.
We’re a professional team and we like to be personable and take an interest in our clients too. When you work with us you can think of it like working with a friend who wants to make your business a success.
If you’d like to discuss more then get in touch with us today and let’s talk more.