Small Business Must-read! Website Problems Uncovered And Their Solutions
Small Businesses needing a website have a lot of pitfalls to avoid and most only find out what these critical issues are after wasting thousands of dollars in time, money, and energy. This article will address problems small business's face along with practical, real-world solutions.
Problem #1 - Small businesses have a limited budget.
You need a website that adds to the bottom line. Remember your website is how internet shoppers will judge you as a professional and a trustworthy resource. A website that is poorly thought out and looks cheap will do only two things: Cause you to miss out on potential customers and make you miss out on the internet. So what can you do with a limited budget? Actually quite a bit. There are experienced, well trained freelance professionals that offer design firm quality creations at a fraction of the cost.
Here are some suggestion to separate the "wheat from the chaff": Ask about the designer's credentials. A good designer will have samples, and more importantly, certifications. A designer that is A.C.E. Certified (Abobe Certified Expert) in Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver have proven their competency in the world's most advanced design applications. A membership and certification with SEMPO demonstrates a serious involvement with internet marketing. It's simple for anyone to have a computer and call himself a designer, but recognized certifications are acquired only by the serious professional.
The most common mistake made by small businesses today is to try and do a website yourself, using Intuit or Websites Tonight by GoDaddy. These cheap solutions are just that: Cheap. The small business owner is lured in with "bait and switch" smooth marketing tactics that only the professional can see through. The small business owner thinks it isn't a big deal to start this way but it gets problematic because businesses lose their investment made in the first design, have to somehow move their content eventually, fail to get new customers, and suffer potential search engine optimization issues. All this happens usually without the small business owner realizing it.
Problem #2 - Your not sure why your business needs a website.
This may seem elementary, but most businesses know they "just need a website" and assume a website designer will know "why". The truth is a website can used as a complimentary tool to traditional advertising or as an independent marketing tool using social media, search engine optimization, or a combination many aspects. If you plan on using sponsored listing (PPC) ads for specific niches, you really need to make sure you have properly created landing pages (concentrated eye-catching specific product/service pages) to get the A.D.D. minded internet shoppers attention quick. As a small business, branding is not the primary focus (read Dan Kennedy), you need sales first. Search engine optimization is expensive, but if you find a good designer, they can plug in search engine factors into your website that will make it "ready to go" when you are ready to make your charge to the top of Google, Yahoo, Bing and others. Understanding where you are and where you want to be is important. A good designer can ask the right questions and work in all the factors needed so you'll never have to completely re-invent the wheel.
Problem #3 - Waiting for your designer extended lengths of times for corrections
Waiting for changes to be made to a website is a huge problem for the small business. Minor website tweaks is not high on the radar for designers because they are chasing the next client. This is why you should ask for a CMS application. CMS stands for Content Management System. It should be an easy way to allow you to edit your own website. There is another enormous reason you want this feature: Changes cost money! Some website designs change as much as an $80 minimum to make any changes. If you have a way to make small changes easily (without technical knowledge), you could save hundreds or even thousands annually.
In essence, don't be suckered in by the do-it-yourself websites, the fly-by-night college student or poorly trained non-professional. Be smart. Look for credentials, look for samples, look for experience. And most importantly: Know where you are and where you want to go.
Problem #1 - Small businesses have a limited budget.
You need a website that adds to the bottom line. Remember your website is how internet shoppers will judge you as a professional and a trustworthy resource. A website that is poorly thought out and looks cheap will do only two things: Cause you to miss out on potential customers and make you miss out on the internet. So what can you do with a limited budget? Actually quite a bit. There are experienced, well trained freelance professionals that offer design firm quality creations at a fraction of the cost.
Here are some suggestion to separate the "wheat from the chaff": Ask about the designer's credentials. A good designer will have samples, and more importantly, certifications. A designer that is A.C.E. Certified (Abobe Certified Expert) in Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver have proven their competency in the world's most advanced design applications. A membership and certification with SEMPO demonstrates a serious involvement with internet marketing. It's simple for anyone to have a computer and call himself a designer, but recognized certifications are acquired only by the serious professional.
The most common mistake made by small businesses today is to try and do a website yourself, using Intuit or Websites Tonight by GoDaddy. These cheap solutions are just that: Cheap. The small business owner is lured in with "bait and switch" smooth marketing tactics that only the professional can see through. The small business owner thinks it isn't a big deal to start this way but it gets problematic because businesses lose their investment made in the first design, have to somehow move their content eventually, fail to get new customers, and suffer potential search engine optimization issues. All this happens usually without the small business owner realizing it.
Problem #2 - Your not sure why your business needs a website.
This may seem elementary, but most businesses know they "just need a website" and assume a website designer will know "why". The truth is a website can used as a complimentary tool to traditional advertising or as an independent marketing tool using social media, search engine optimization, or a combination many aspects. If you plan on using sponsored listing (PPC) ads for specific niches, you really need to make sure you have properly created landing pages (concentrated eye-catching specific product/service pages) to get the A.D.D. minded internet shoppers attention quick. As a small business, branding is not the primary focus (read Dan Kennedy), you need sales first. Search engine optimization is expensive, but if you find a good designer, they can plug in search engine factors into your website that will make it "ready to go" when you are ready to make your charge to the top of Google, Yahoo, Bing and others. Understanding where you are and where you want to be is important. A good designer can ask the right questions and work in all the factors needed so you'll never have to completely re-invent the wheel.
Problem #3 - Waiting for your designer extended lengths of times for corrections
Waiting for changes to be made to a website is a huge problem for the small business. Minor website tweaks is not high on the radar for designers because they are chasing the next client. This is why you should ask for a CMS application. CMS stands for Content Management System. It should be an easy way to allow you to edit your own website. There is another enormous reason you want this feature: Changes cost money! Some website designs change as much as an $80 minimum to make any changes. If you have a way to make small changes easily (without technical knowledge), you could save hundreds or even thousands annually.
In essence, don't be suckered in by the do-it-yourself websites, the fly-by-night college student or poorly trained non-professional. Be smart. Look for credentials, look for samples, look for experience. And most importantly: Know where you are and where you want to go.