No matter what kind of business you are running or how big it is, you definitely need a website.

The quality of your site is a measure of the quality of your business and a website is the first place that your clients will look at – even if it’s only to find your address and phone number. Since we’ve just finished developing another website for small business, we can share some tips with you:

Strategy

We always start with asking our clients ‘Why do you need a site?’ rather than ‘What do you want on it?’ It helps us focus on the important things and information that we want to communicate. We also try to set smart goals, the ones that we’ll be able to measure.
It’s also smart to check out your competitors and what they do well.
It’s equally important to know your own place in the business universe (what is your mission, what do you have to offer and to whom)?

Preparation

Be careful when choosing your domain name. Make it self-explanatory, unique, easy-to-type, easy to remember, and as short as possible
Create your own logo, or even better, hire a professional to do it for you! A good logo is critical for a successful business. Great logos make a great first impressions and positively differentiate you from your competition.
Prepare high-quality content! Content is usually the biggest slow-down in the web development process, so make sure you have it ready on time. Pay attention to headlines and leads and make sure to provide nice and high quality photos. And don’t forget to use keywords in your text! Keywords are important for the position of your site in the search engine results on Google.

Development

Great websites need to have predictable structure and navigation. You don’t want your visitors to get lost, do you? There are generally 5 basic website pages: Home, About us, Contact us, Products/Services and FAQ, but it usually depends on the industry you operate in. Make sure your e-mail address (and phone number) are visible on all pages, though.
Choose a website building platform. For small businesses, we strongly recommend an open-source system that any developer can access. Like WordPress. Nearly 30% of all websites are running on the WordPress website platform. WP is affordable, it has loads of layouts (themes) to choose from, it’s mobile & tablet friendly and it’s good for SEO.
Choose a WordPress theme with the right look & feel and adjust it to your needs and structure.
Upload your content and double-check everything

Marketing and measurement

Now that you’ve done everything right and you have a website that you’ve always wanted, it’s time to get out there and look for your customers and let them know that you are here. GoogleAnalytics will tell you if you’re doing it well.

We hope these little tips work for you. If you still need help with structuring and developing your website, just send us an e-mail.