Starting a business comes with a lot of new steps and challenges. And as a business owner, you want to make all the right decisions that set you up on the path to success. Within the last year, it’s been more important than ever for businesses to increase their online presence. Every business should have a way for customers to find them online. But it’s more than just social presence and business listings. Every business needs a website.
When Do I Launch My Website?
So, when should you launch your new business website? The straight forward answer is you should launch your website as soon as possible. Your site needs to be ready the moment you want to start selling your products. So the earlier you launch the better. There are a lot of benefits to launching your website early. Having your website up and ready is a great way to just get the word out, especially if you have yet to open your storefront or online business.
In terms of SEO, as soon as you want to start ranking you should have a website. You can’t start ranking if you don’t have a website. SEO takes time to build authority and trust on search engines so the sooner you launch your site, the sooner you can move up in your rankings. Even if you aren’t quite ready to open the doors to your business, if you have a “coming soon” or “under construction” page, it lets your customers know you are on your way to opening and this helps you build momentum for your business on search engines like Google.
Is Social Media Enough for My Online Presence?
A great way to get the word out about your business and build your brand is through social media. So, if you’ve been promoting and utilizing your social business profiles, do you still need a website? The answer is yes, having a website will help you grow your business and build trust with your customers.
A lot of business owners think social profiles like Instagram or Facebook and business listings like Google My Business or Yelp are enough for their online reach. In fact, some businesses even confuse their business listing or Facebook page as their actual website.
However, it’s not enough to just have a social presence. Social media is a great springboard for promotion and growth but it shouldn’t be your end game. Pair your social media profiles with a well-optimized website for the ultimate way to better reach your customers and target customers.
What are the Benefits of Having a Website?
Having a website can help take your business to the next level. There are some key factors when it comes to building an effective website. Before you get started, it’s important to understand the benefits of having a website. Not only will it help customers find you and your services faster, but it can boost your growth considerably. Here are some contributing factors to why you should have a website for your business:
Manage your Brand – Websites are a great way to help manage your brand online. It’s essentially the main hub for your business. Whatever you want your customers to know about you, you can put it right on your site. As they visit your site, you can provide information for them to learn about your business, understand what services you provide, and any important details about your brand and who you are. You can add an “about” page showcasing your employees and managers. Having a website not only builds trust and authority with search engines, but you build it with your current or potential customers.
Content – We’ve said it before, but content is king, especially for your website. Whether you start a blog or share videos, tips, and tricks, having relevant content on your website will help drive traffic and improve your ranking on search engines. Additionally, good, relevant content will build trust with your customers and keep coming back and investing in you. You can position yourself as an expert in your service with quality content. Show your customers that you know what you’re talking about and you know you’re industry just as much as your competitors, if not better. You can use your social media profiles to amplify your content and bring traffic back to your website.
SEO Strategy – Implement a solid SEO strategy into your website. Start early and build momentum. Use quality keywords and rank for different terms to help you rank higher and more relevant in your industry. Always consider E-A-T to help you improve your rankings: Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. The more traffic you drive to your site, the more authority and trust you build. Search engines will recognize your site and move you up on the SERP as you work towards this goal.
E-commerce – if you’re a business that sells products or services, having an e-commerce presence is crucial. Having an e-commerce site helps you sell your products directly to your customers. Because of COVID, e-commerce evolution and development has jumped 5 years into the future. And it’s not going back. So as buying online increases around the globe, having the option to purchase online on your site has become more important than ever. List what you offer on your website and give your customers up-to-date and direct access to your products.
Answers FAQ – Your customers may be looking for specific information about your business or services. Meet them where they are and provide the information and answers to their questions right away. Always be direct in your answers. Speak to your customers in a way they can understand that is concise and to the point. Having a dedicated page on your website to answer questions and builds trust and loyalty with your customers. Use key terms and phrases on your page to help your site rank with specific keywords pertaining to your business and industry.
Direct people to your location – Let people know where you are. Are you only online? Do you have a storefront? How many locations? Do you have specific hours of operation? You need to incorporate all these things onto your website, as well as local business listings. Customers want to trust what’s on your site. Keep it updated with the most correct and relevant information.
How Do I Start My Website?
When building your website, consider the purpose of your business. Ask yourself important questions to understand who you are and what your business provides. Are you a brand? Do you sell something, and if so, what and how are you selling your products? Do you offer a service? How do you improve your customer’s well-being with what you provide? As you understand who you are as a business, you can better implement the best strategies on your website. Provide good information, quality content with a well-optimized SEO strategy for success.
Let MillCreek Website Design help you build your brand new website and start ranking today. Contact us to get started!
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