Yes! Every small business needs a website. Whether you run a restaurant, or coffee shop, consider yourself a “Mom and Pop” store, a startup, or non-profit — you need a website. But please don’t worry, we’ve put together a short guide to to help you.

Yes, But Why? Here are 8 Critical Reasons Why Small Businesses Must Have a Website

A website is a powerful business tool and should not be overlooked. It is the virtual welcome mat to your front door. A digital calling card, if you will. Simply put, a website communicates vital information to current and potential customers. Below are the common questions that can be answered with content on your website.

1. Where is your company physically located?
2. What are your hours?
3. How can I contact you?
4. What kinds of products and services do you offer?
5. How did your company get started?
6. How do you stack up against the competition?
7. Are you legit? (People trust businesses with websites over those without).
8. Do you have a cool email address with your business name in it so I don’t forget?

Finally, you can bet dollars to doughnuts that your competitor has a website. So, let’s get started!

What Pages Do I Need?

Websites come in many sizes and the amount of content may be up to you and the type of business that you do. Below are the suggested pages that you should include followed by a brief description of each page. We definitely recommend these pages to start.

• Home Page
• About Us
• Products and Services
• Contact Us
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Home Page

You have just a few seconds to capture someone’s attention. Since the Homepage is usually the first page they might see, let’s just say first impressions count! Think of the homepage as the hub of your whole website, like a web stretching out to connect to other pages. Some folks like to include links to other website, which is okay, but please realize that you could be spending a lot of money to drive people to your site only to have them leave if they’ve linked away from your site. So we recommend that you avoid outside links on your homepage.

About Us

The About Us page is where you tell your story. How did you decide to launch this business? Is there a long history behind it? What is the company culture like? What kind of customer service do you provide? It is also another chance to tell visitors why they should choose your services.

Contact Us

The Contact Us page is self explanatory and should not be overlooked. Also the various ways that you can be contacted should not be hidden or hard to find. Listed below are common and suggested options on how people can contact you.

• Phone number
• Email address or contact form
• Hours
• Location
• Social Media links

I know what you are thinking about the next two sections, “Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. BORING! No one reads this stuff is it truly necessary?” It may be true that no one reads them and it’s filled with legalese, but we recommend it because it could save you money in the long run and can protect you.

Privacy Policy

A privacy policy is a statement that discloses ways a website gathers, uses, and manages client’s data. Being transparent with your intentions is a good rule of thumb. We recommend it. People want to know if they give you their contact information, like name and email address, how will it be used? What are your intentions? Will you sell their names to third party mailing lists? These things need to be addressed and this section is where you can place these disclaimers.

Terms of Use

Terms of Use are disclaimers or rules by which one must agree to abide to use a service. The Terms of Use can include information on the following:

• Copyright licensing of user content, saved or temporary cookies
• Data tracking policy and opt-out availability
• Notification prior to information transfer in event of merger or acquisition
• Indemnification or compensation for claims against account or content
• Cancellation or termination of account by user and or service

OMG!

Are you suffering from one or more of these common dilemmas?

• I don’t know the first thing about websites
• I’m not technically oriented. At all. Seriously.
• I wouldn’t know who to call.
• Aren’t websites expensive? I don’t know if I can afford one!

First Things First

Pick a domain name

Domain names (also called URLs) with the business name are highly recommended. Rules of thumb also include using a key search term, a short description of business or service or your name.

• spideywebdesign.com
• speedypizzadelivery.com
• peterparkerplumbing.com

Choose a web host

That’s where we come in. This is the group of technicians who will keep your website alive on the internet. They are extremely knowledgeable about websites, the Cloud and other technical stuff. Just ask us!

Install WordPress

Easy Peasy. WordPress is probably the world’s most popular software to make a website. It’s very user-friendly and intuitive. WordPress can also allow you to make edits on your own without knowing how to code so you do not have to hire someone.

Pick a Theme

This is like picking wallpaper so be prepared to look at a few before you decide! A theme is a general look and feel of your website. It often correlates to the kind of image you want your business to reflect to the world. Most businesses will choose a theme that fits with their own personality and brand.

Was this article helpful? Please let us know. And please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We’re happy to help!