Small Businesses: How To Make Your Website Work For You

Most businesses are aware they need a website. However it is not simply enough to put a couple of pages together and have some contact details. Effectively this is your online shop window and there are a number of ways how you can make your website work for you.

 

Use established e-commerce systems

While more and more people are using websites to pay for local services and from small businesses they still expect the best quality in terms of secure transactions. Some people may want to get a developer to create a secure system but in terms of keeping costs down it may be better to use an “off the peg” e-commerce system.

 

Reduce the workload

A lot of businesses get asked the same questions- “How much do you charge for this?”, “Where are you based?” etc. Auto-responders and automated systems can cut out a lot of needless work that can free up more time for you to work on your business.

 

Keep your site updated

As stated before it is not simply enough to have a website and leave it. Regular content can be vital in keeping people engaged and knowing what you have to offer. This can vary from regular blog content to linked social media feeds.

Of course the concern for small business owners is the cost involved. However this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case- for example you can bring in freelance content writers to work on blogs, providing SEO enhanced content that increase the amount of traffic to your website (and in turn increase the likelihood of people buying your products/using your services).

Increasingly video is also crucial- a video at the top of your webpage can give people an insight into what you have to offer, as well as a good way to interact with your customers. You can do this yourself (a famous example was the “Will it blend?” series of videos) or you can bring in a professional video company.

 

Website support 

Website support is crucial- you may not necessarily want someone full time on your premises for it but it is worth having someone to hand. Aside from potential security problems and server issues it is important to be vigilant to ensure the website is running efficiently and that people find the site accessible and user friendly.

Essentially the support you choose depends on the nature of your business- some companies will require regular support because they are constantly changing while others would be less frequent.

For example if you run a restaurant and you bring in fresh specials then you may want to regularly update the menu on the website. However if your restaurant tends to have the same kind of food then the updates not need to be as frequent.

At Digi Toolbox we recognise this and can adapt as necessary, ensuring that your business has the support you need. To find out more about the services we can offer you please contact us today and we will be happy to discuss your requirements in more detail.