Too often, small businesses work with web design companies who throw together generic sites, fill them with lackluster copy (or content copied directly from old sites) and then leave the businesses on their own to figure out how to turn a website into a selling tool. These sites might look nice, but they don’t necessarily bring in customers.
Instead, small businesses should invest in true web development firms that establish strategies, create websites using marketing principles and then support each business in making the most of their new website. Here are some of the most important web design services for small businesses to keep in mind when choosing a firm:
- Custom Site Building
While it’s true that an option like WordPress gets a website up and running at minimal cost, there are significant downsides as well. For one, these sites are often unsecured (which is a deal breaker when it comes to ecommerce website design in particular). They also can end up costing quite a bit of money to tailor and personalize, so sometimes it’s better to just start out building a fully custom website.
- Content Creation
Content is actually one of the most important factors in determining the conversion rate of a website — that is, what percentage of site visitors actually become customers. It’s important that any website copy be written with marking and consumer psychology principles in mind, focusing on unique selling propositions and calls to action. Creating unique and informative content (typically on a blog) is also vital in search engine optimization. Content marketing can be used offsite in order to drive traffic, although this is a slightly more complicated operation.
- Social Media Integration
Small businesses may not be able to dedicate whole teams to managing social media, but that doesn’t mean social media should be neglected. In fact, social media may be even more important for small businesses, since they often develop loyal local followings. A web development firm should help in both developing a social media strategy and its day-to-day implementation.
What other web design services for small businesses should move to the forefront of the process? Share your opinion in the comments.
