subject: The importance of good web design for a small business [print this page] The importance of good web design for a small business
These days, there are a significant number of small business owners and self-employed persons who overlook the importance of the internet as a medium for promoting their business. There are those who decide to utilize poorly designed sites with limitations in regard to navigation and those who do not even feel the need to have a website at all.
The truth is, a website is the first point of call for any prospective customer and their initial impressions are formed as soon as they type in your URL or click on a link to your site.
There are basically 3 ways in which you can get an online presence:
Get a 'free' website.
Use site building software for approximately 50-100 for a year including hosting.
Get a professional to build you a site.
I personally would advise against anyone going with the first option. My mother always told me nothing is free in this world and it appears that includes free websites. A friend of mine recently signed up for one of these sites only to get a call a few weeks later from the hosting company itself telling him that his website was of quite poor quality and would he like a site designed for 600. While he chose not to take them up on their offer, his free website is certainly in need of improvement if he wishes to attract attention from customers or the bodies from whom he would like to gain accreditation.
The second option could be quite viable for many people provided they have a basic understanding of web design. Some site builders such as Mr Site come with the possibility of including such functions as shopping carts and whose usability is adequate for the vast majority of small businesses.'
In most cases of course it makes sense to employ a professional designer. While many small businesses may be reluctant to do so, it should be seen as a worthy investment that will pay off in the long run and it needn't break the bank. In addition to designing a conspicuous website, a professional web designer can give you advice on, or implement a strategy to optimize your site for search engines such as Google which will ultimately bring in more revenue.
Which leads to the question, who should you employ to design a site for you? As as the case with any transaction you carry out, it pays to shop around and you may pay 1000 for a site only to later discover you could have had a site of similar quality produced for only a fraction of the price.
It is also advisable to be wary of any company who say they 'can get you to the top of google'. It is more than likely that they can't because if everybody makes such claims then somebody is certainly lying. There are many unscrupulous companies out there ranging from those who slightly embellish their SEO abilities to those charging extortionate amounts for what is a borderline scam.
It is for these reasons that I decided on a different approach for my web design company. After an initial consulation with the client, I design a site to their required specifications before giving them a free one hour training session on how they can improve their site's SEO. I believe this is an excellent service and means small business owners no longer need to worry about the high costs of getting their business online.
