Have you started thinking about your dreams and resolutions for 2021 yet? It’s not too early to start thinking about them! In fact, now is an excellent time to begin, especially if your 2021 plans might include starting your own business or getting a website (or website upgrade) for your existing business.
As you’re wrapping up 2020 and taking stock of your finances, it’s a good time to also start thinking about what lies ahead. The year 2020 was a depressed year, financially, for many people, but even as I type, vaccines are being approved and distributed across the globe. Even if immunity is still months away, 2021 promises to be a major make-up year for the gloom of 2020. At some point in 2021, the world is going to blossom like springtime after an extremely long, brutal winter! Is harnessing that energy part of your business plans?
If it is, and you think you may be in the market for a new website, here are some answers to questions you might have and things to keep in mind…
Question: My business is going to be so new and small… am I really going to need a website?
Answer: Yes, definitely!
In this time of rampant social media and so many free platform options, it can feel like you probably don’t need to actually have your own website. Not true! We wrote a whole article about why a website should be in your business plans, even if you are currently satisfied with just being present on social media. Every business owner who is serious about their business should at least put a website somewhere in their business development plans — at the very least, it lends your business a credence that it would not have otherwise and opens you up to a whole new channel potential of customers.
Question: Well then, what do I need to start out with?
Answer: Basic Branding (logo, themes, colors), Business Website, Business Cards, & Google My Business.
Every business is different for what the basics need to be, but of all of the small businesses that I have met with in the last year, these are the items that have been considered critical to get out there and start making an impression.
Basic Branding
Beyond your business name you will need at the very minimum: colors, themes, and a logo. Consider these the base elements that you will build your presence on. A graphic designer can help you hammer these out, and can usually do it quite quickly and inexpensively after hearing a little bit about you and your business.
Business Website
You can create a website any time, but the best time is after you have your business name registered and base branding completed. Development of a website goes much more smoothly and quickly if you and your web designer understand what your base brand is. A website is important as it is a gateway to your official online presence. In regards to your social media, think of Facebook, Twitter, etc. as ancillary, and really doorways into your official presence: your website!
When choosing a domain name for your website, we recommend considering selection of a domain name with your business name in it, to reinforce your branding in people’s minds. Think about also getting email to go along with your domain name as this also lends credence to your business, and it’s not terribly expensive to add.
Business Cards
Even if you don’t use them a lot, business cards are an inexpensive way to get your business out there and seen. Be sure that your cards reflect your branding, and your graphic designer can usually also help you with business cards, as well! Make sure that your cards include all of your contact information, as well as your website address, and your social media handles. For the smart phone age, you could even include additional information inside a QR code directly on your card!
Google My Business
This is a service of Google which displays information about a business that you see appear to the right of search results when you do a Google search for a business name. This section includes information about the business, like website address, location, a map to a physical location or service area, hours of operation, customer reviews, etc.
You can request access to an existing Google My Business page, or create a brand new one for your new business. Google My Business has become a very important base piece of many businesses’ online marketing strategy, as it is often the first thing that searchers see when they search for your business. We recommend you research Google My Business and start thinking about making this a part of your strategy as well.
Question: My small business website might not have complex needs right now, but might later, so how do I avoid expensive upgrades?
Answer: Choose a flexible platform and know your basics.
Explore your options and choose a flexible platform.
Platforms like WordPress (and honestly, Square and Wix have some pretty robust and expandable platforms for DIYers these days) will allow you to start simple and expand to more complex features later. Check out the options for any platform that you think you want to go with and make sure that they include the option to include or inexpensively upgrade to the features that you may want later (like eCommerce or service scheduling). Knowing ahead of time what is possible with the platform you choose is key to not having to do the whole site over again in a different platform.
Know your basic business website needs
Small businesses and large businesses have some similar base needs when it comes to the foundational necessities of a website, so when you’re first starting out, make sure that you harness all of the basics that you’re going to need, even when your business grows significantly…
Every business website, regardless of size, must address: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How!
Who you are — Make sure your business name (exactly like you registered it with your state… example: My Business Name, LLC) is present on every piece of material that you distribute — including on every page of your website.
What you do — Make it extremely simple and clear exactly what your business does, either as a header, within the first paragraph of your home page, perhaps even in your tagline. (Example: Mrs. Janie’s Landscaping, LLC – Licensed landscaping services for residential and commercial properties.)
Where you are — Be specific. This can help differentiate you from a similarly named business operating in a different location. Plus, it puts you in the right area when people are searching for your industry in your area, but not necessarily your business specifically. (Example: Mrs. Janie’s Landscaping, LLC – Licensed landscaping services for residential and commercial properties in the Portland, Oregon, area.) Also don’t forget to think about where as in where is your storefront address.
When you do it — Do not forget your hours of availability. When can people call and get a hold of you? When can someone walk into your storefront? Are you open 24/7?
Why you do it — Ok, this might be a little more artistic than it first sounds. The main why, obviously, is to make money doing what you love. However, I mean more like, why are you different from your competition? Why should I choose your service over your competition? (Example: Mrs. Janie’s Landscaping, LLC was established in 1995. All of our staff have been professionally trained in botany and licensed in environmentally friendly landscaping techniques. We will not only help your property look fantastic, we’ll make sure it’s healthy as well!)
How to get in touch with you — Make getting in touch with you easy! Always include a contact form that sends you email. The visitor won’t even need to leave your site to send you a message. Google offers a free Captcha tool to help keep bots at bay and we find that it works very well to reduce form spam. Also be sure to include your other appropriate contact information — Phone number for sure, but also: an email address, if you’re comfortable publishing one (be prepared for spam, though), a fax number, etc. However you want your clients to be able to exchange things with you.
Wrapping Up
I know that might seem like a lot to think about, but if you’ve read this far, you’re definitely well on your way to getting a good start on your business website strategy for 2021! If you would like help creating a strategy or bouncing around website ideas, we are so into that. Just reach out and set up an appointment to chat via phone or Zoom. Our first half hour to hour of consultation is free and we can often get you well on your way to a robust web strategy by the end of it.
Happy planning!
