You’ve taken the plunge and started your own business, so what should be at the top of your marketing to-do list? Setting up a website! It is the must-have marketing tool that is vital to all businesses, large or small, but many sole traders and micro business owners fail to recognise that even if they only trade locally, they still need an online presence to grow and prosper.
Why a website is so important
A professionally-designed website can offer many benefits:
- A chance to explain your services or demonstrate your products, even if you do not actually sell anything online.
- A website is today’s Yellow Pages – although you might think that your site will get lost somewhere in cyber space, if it is well optimised and regularly updated, it will attract more visitors than you think.
- The opportunity to show your own personality and reach your customers in a way that is not possible without a website, by solving the problems and answering the concerns of a large group of people, all at the same time.
Put simply, a well-designed website can be the difference between success and failure for any business, but particularly so for a micro business.
Networking on a national scale
By having an online presence in the form of not only a website, but maybe a blog or a business Facebook page, you have a networking opportunity on a national scale. Even if you only want your reach to extend to the local community, you can build a loyal customer base by taking the time to network online, and answer any concerns that your customers may have.
For example, a Facebook page or a blog would allow you to unveil your latest products in the form of attractive full-colour images, and engaging descriptions that could increase your turnover significantly. As the saying goes “A picture paints a thousand words” and if your picture happens to be one of your newest products, then potential and existing customers will not need many words to encourage them to buy from you.
If you are only interested in trading locally, your website can run alongside a bricks and mortar business seamlessly. The site could advertise your opening times, products, location, even the history of your business and your motivation for setting it up. It allows you to portray something of your personality, which shows honesty and openness, which in turn will attract more customers.
David Hamer is a web design expert, and if you are looking for professional web design Aberdeen companies offer excellent design ideas at a reasonable price. David is able to recommend companies offering top class web design Aberdeen business owners can trust.
