Business websites are intended to address the need for your online presence whether you are offering products or services, people should be able to look you up via Google when they search for, say “best hair salons” (if you’re of course into hairdressing business).
A business website can help you put up your ‘virtual self for sale’ and attracting customers. Customers can browse the list of offerings and can leave comments (suggestions/feedback) for you to improve on or can serve as a pointer if you’re doing okay for yourself in the market.
Want to know how can you setup one for yourself? Well here are some tips exclusively for you:
1. Clear Goal in Sight
Business websites differ from each other since they serve varying purposes. If for instance, your idea is to sell products develop your website around that thought. If it is about a particular service you specialize in and want customers to reach you, go with that idea in formulating your website.
A vague website will put off both potential and returning customers as you will have nothing relevant to your niche that is engaging them when they visit the ‘virtual you’.
2. Find the Middle Ground with Your Content
Content is the real driver in garnering traffic towards your website especially potential customers. Make sure to publish a concise version. Lengthy content which is trying to tell too many things at once is a nuisance for the readers and drives them away.
If you wish to blog on your website, share something that is actionable and works as a takeaway for the reader. For example, if you’re into hairdressing trade, lend some insights on how to increase your hair volume by following X number of tips. Make sure to ensure text readability (should be east-to-read)
3. Build Hierarchy of Webpages
For a business, you ought to have a set of different web pages for your website. You can go with a simpler format such as a home page, about us, and contact us pages. In addition, you can opt for blog page where you pour your take on the industry or separate pages for services you deal in etc.
Basically play around to see what suits you.
4. Purchase a domain
Domain name is what defines you around the web. Say, you are ABC Hair Salon and abchairsalon.com is how you are identified on the internet. There are free ones as well but compared to above (which shows a sense of ownership) a domain with abchairsalon.wordpress.com does not sound professional.
5. Reliability of the Host
You can select from a number of web hosting services; free hosting, shared, clustered and reseller. Free hosting platforms include WordPress and Blogger. For newbies, they are a way to go about offering lots of customization. Others who possess some know-how about hosting should consider paid service.
6. Theme of Your Website
Theme speaks a lot about your business. If you’re a hairstylist, you cannot portray a corporate outlook of your website as with government institutions or banks. Instead, it has to be sleek and trendy. A word of advice, stay away from free themes.
7. Get a Good Graphic Designer On Board
The header says it all. The design on your website or different webpages is at the helm of your overall website appearance/look/feel and needless to say that it one thing you can’t comprise on. From fonts to banners to color scheme a graphics guy is responsible.
You should communicate explicitly to him your business intention and where you are going with it in the future so room for necessary modification is always there.
8. Always Include a Contact Form
In addition to contact form, your contact us page should consist of social media handles and other contact information.
9. Add Good Quality Images
Quality images can be easily found on the internet. Whatever your page or content is about the image selected should reflect that idea. Customers are drawn more to the page with illustrations, and infographics for that matter so choose carefully.
For a salon business, image selection is integral since the hair products, different styles and pricing listed there will bring in customers to your actual physical establishment. Therefore, do not employ low-grade images only high-resolution stuff.
10. Customer Testimonials
It is a great way to build trust and strengthens goodwill for your business. Make sure you put them online as well. Who would pass up on the service or product that carries a positive word-of-mouth influence?
Hope the above tips help you grow your business online by building an awesome website! Also, a mobile friendly version of your website helps a great deal too to navigate on-the-go for users.
Author Bio:
Jack Tyler is a Digital Media Enthusiast and a Tech Nerd working at Assignment Writing Service organization. He enjoys blogging in his leisure time and uses this podium to inform the readers about the dark art of online marketing.
