The Temptation
As an entrepreneur or small business founder, it’s easy to get caught up in the allure of a flashy, expensive website that promises to elevate your business to the next level. The problem is, many entrepreneurs end up overspending on web design and development, often investing five to ten thousand dollars or more on a website that may not even be necessary to achieve their goals. Instead of sinking your funds into a high-end website, it’s more beneficial to focus on quality tools that will help you deliver excellent service and build a strong reputation.
What your website should do
Your website should serve as a basic, effective tool to validate your business and provide clear pathways for potential customers to contact you. It doesn’t need to be extravagant or over-the-top. Instead, it should meet a few key goals: attracting Google’s attention, affirming the credibility of your business and services, and making it easy for customers to get in touch with you.
The platform matters
A well-designed website, when built efficiently, should help your business rank well on search engines, which in turn will increase traffic to your site. Basic elements like quality SEO, clear navigation, and responsive design are crucial for ensuring that your website is visible and usable. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to achieve this. In fact, many tools and templates exist today that make it possible to create a polished, professional-looking site for just a fraction of the cost. Even though you can use platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace that offer user-friendly designs that allow small business owners to build an attractive website quickly and at a low cost, often with customizable templates that don’t require coding expertise… the concern will be whether or not you have that time, know how to troubleshoot issues, understand best practices to adding content, or want to manage your website.
So finding a website company that does all that for you for a low cost will be key.
Validation matters
Furthermore, a website’s primary goal is to validate your business and its services. A simple site with a clear, concise description of what you do, how you do it, and why customers should choose you is more than enough. Potential clients will want to see proof of your services, so include customer testimonials, case studies, and a portfolio of your work. These don’t need to be expensive or complicated to implement, but they should be effective in demonstrating that your business can deliver on its promises. Testimonials from real clients can significantly enhance your credibility and persuade visitors that your services are valuable and reliable.
Easy Connections
Another important function of your website is to provide simple pathways for customers to contact you. An easy-to-find contact form, email address, or phone number is essential for converting site visitors into leads. You don’t need a complex booking system or live chat functionality right away (unless your business model demands it). Keep it simple and functional.
Hosting and security
Additionally, a fast and secure hosting solution is vital for ensuring that your website operates smoothly and doesn’t hinder the customer experience. Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable hosting providers that offer fast, reliable service without breaking the bank. Don’t waste money on hosting plans that include features you won’t use or need. A simple, scalable hosting solution will do the job just fine.
What you should consider spending extra money on
While your website can do these things, it should not be your primary investment. The true success of your business depends on the quality of the services you offer and the tools you use to deliver them. You should be investing more in high-quality tools and software that will enable you to provide excellent service and fulfill your business promises.
Tools and quality materials
If you’re running a service-based business, having the right tools is crucial to your ability to execute your work efficiently and at a high standard. These tools could include everything from customer relationship management (CRM) systems to project management software, scheduling tools, invoicing platforms, or even high-quality equipment if you’re in a trade or production business. When you focus your resources on acquiring the best tools for your business, you improve your ability to deliver excellent results, earn positive reviews, and build a reputation for reliability and professionalism. This is far more important in the long term than an extravagant website.
An affordable website can easily be maintained with an easy-to-use content management system (CMS) that allows you to make updates as needed. For instance, your web design team should offer you a site that includes unlimited updates to projects, testimonials, photos, blogs, and other content. This way, you don’t have to rely on expensive third-party developers each time you want to make a change. You should be able to update your content yourself or with minimal support.
Better Tools or Better Website… or Both?
Before you invest your hard earned money in a website, as a small business owner, it’s important to keep perspective when it comes to your website. While it’s essential to have a website that validates your business, engages customers, and ranks well in search engines, it doesn’t need to be an extravagant, expensive investment. Focus your energy and extra funds on the tools that will help you execute your services with excellence and build a reputation for quality. By investing wisely in tools and keeping your website simple, functional, and easy to maintain, you’ll be in a stronger position to grow your business and provide lasting value to your customers.
