Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared to Build Your Own Website | All Business

There is no question about it: if you have a business, you need a website. Having a website is absolutely necessary in today’s digital world.

There are two main things that hold people back from getting a website. The first is money and the other is coding. For those with the money to spend, it can be costly to hire a programmer. For those without the money to spend, it can seem like coding is more trouble than it’s worth. I’m here to tell you that money and coding are non-issues when it comes to building a website. “Not so long ago, there would have been no question of hiring a pro to get the results you want,” writes Leo Welder. “But thanks to the rise of online tools like website builders, it has become much easier for the non-techies among us to build a more-than-decent website.” Here are the biggest reasons why it’s a good idea to build your own website.

The cost is not that significant

Think about the money you will need to pay to a web development firm to create your website. If you have the money to do it, I would recommend going that route. After all, you don’t want to waste time building your website when you can focus on your business. However, not everyone has venture capital so you are likely on your own with this one.

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4 Tips on How to Write an About Us Page That Works | Small Business Trends

Here’s a food for thought: as a modern, fairly tech-savvy small business owner, have you designed an amazing ‘About’ page that crisply conveys your brand’s message, inspires trust, and facilitates further action by the user?

Probably not. Although the ‘About’ page is inherent to just about any website, it is especially important for business websites aspiring to generate more leads and customers. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the ‘About’ page can potentially be your “marketing marvel” and can single-handedly convert complete strangers into qualified leads, or even customers.

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5 Benefits of Having a Website for Your Small Business | Small Biz Trends

Last week at SmallBizTrends I shared the statistic that 47 percent of small business owners still weren’t using social media because they didn’t feel it was important to their business. That post spurred a lot of strong comments, both on site here and on Facebook. Eventually the conversation went from whether SMBs should invest in social media to whether they even need a Website or an Internet presence at all.

I really wish we could stop having this conversation.

You probably know some businesses who are doing phenomenally well without a website. I do, too. But I often wonder how much better they could be doing if they took the time to invest in one. And when I say “website,” I don’t mean an electronic version of that brochure they’ve been handing out for the past 10 years. I mean a legitimate, well-thought-out site that is designed to inform, engage and convert their audience.

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Does Your Company Suffer from a Weak Website? | Allbusiness.com

Are you doing the bare minimum when it comes to your small business website? Just having a website is no longer enough if it ever was. You’ve got to take action to get potential customers to discover, engage with and buy from your business. And that means creating an integrated online marketing plan where all parts of your Web presence work together.

Deluxe Corporation recently polled small business owners to find out what they’re doing online. Here’s some of what they found:

Small business owners say word-of-mouth is their most important way of engaging with customers 73 percent. However, they don’t seem to realize that social media has become a crucial part of word-of-mouth. Just 21 percent say social media is an important way to engage with customers; in comparison, 40 percent say business cards are.

What about websites? While two-thirds of small business owners have a business website, that number is still way too small. As I mentioned earlier, having a website is the bare minimum these days. Small business owners are also falling short in what features they have on their website. Fewer than half have photos or videos; just 32 percent use search engine optimization SEO, and only 28 percent have reviews or social media share/follow buttons.

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