Web design for startups - Learn why you need a website

Web design for startups

In today's world, if you are a business owner and your business does not have a website you are - without a doubt - losing business. There is no way around it. Long gone are the days where a business was only local and you were able to make a living out of it. This kind of thinking could lead you and your company to the dark reality of going out of business.

Like the facts?

After all these years working on online marketing we still find many business owners that don't fully understand the possibilities a good website presence can bring to their business and overlook this aspect of their business, not considering it a priority. Look at the facts below and see if you come to the same conclusions:

• More than 2.4 billion people use the Internet every day,
• About 90% of those have searched online for something they intended to buy
• 40% of the Internet users have purchased products or services online in the past month
• More than 70% of potential new customers would check you up on the Internet before doing business with you.
• 65% of buyers say they search for product/vendor information on the Internet
• 62% of buyers say they expect half of their purchases to be made online by 2019.

Based on these facts you can easily notice how important it is to have your business visible on the Internet.

I have a website!

It is easier to convince a person that doesn't have a website to get one than it is to convince someone that their current website is not helping them at all. Many people believe that having a website will be all they need and very little effort is made on creating one.

Keep in mind, your website is not a business card or flyer; it is a VERY POWERFUL tool to enhance your business. The sky is the limit on what you can do with it and how large a market you can reach. The World Wide Web does not have the same restrictions that the physical world and you can go from local to worldwide as soon as you need it. It is all depends on the decisions you make and how you decide to handle them.

Got it, what else?

We could go on and on about it, but the bottom line is; Your website is important and it should be as unique as your business, you should be able to create and handle it as you see fit and it  should be practical to you. It is also important to keep in mind, not all websites are created equal. The code of your website can make you or break your success and having a kid creating your website from his garage does not improve your business chances at all, even when you believe you are saving money, in the long run you'll lose more than you can imagine.

The code affects the website?

Yes, it does. And this could go very good in one way or horrific in the other. Google, Bing and other search engines (the ones that bring visitors to your website) are 100% focused on how the code is written, how fast a website load and how relevant its content is. There is, more but those are the main things these giants use to qualify your website and, based on that, recommend it to your future customers.

This is one of the biggest errors business owners can make when having their website built for the first time. They don't know what to write or how to put into writing all their great ideas about their businesses, and normally the result is they fill up the web pages with images instead of taking advantage of all the available space to enter good content. Think about your website as an open box where you can put all the things you like about your business, will you leave it half empty?

I understand... but there is too much competition already...

Yes, there is a lot of competition online and it can be overwhelming sometimes, and that is understandable. But surely you already have a lot of competition in the physical world and that didn't turn you away from creating your own business. The same way, there were giants on the Internet already when you first thought of starting your own business.

Here are some more facts about ecommerce or online stores...

• The U.S. e-commerce economy is worth $349 billion
• U.K. reached an estimated £62.25 billion in 2017
• Worldwide e-commerce sales reached $1.7 trillion in 2017
• 8 out of 10 consumers will shop online if offered free shipping
• E-commerce sales from social media grew by 202% in 2016

Well... I'm convinced... What to do next?      

Now that you've decided your business need a website, you'll need to start looking for someone that creates it for you in the most beneficial way. Do not look for the cheapest services; normally this approach does not work as expected. Ever had one of those 'You get what you paid for' experiences? Would you be willing to bet your business on it? How about if, instead, you look for a company with experience, check them up in Google, find what their current customers are saying, and make sure they will be able to create all you need before moving forward.

Going a little deeper here are some things you should check before taking your decision.

• Make sure your website is unique and reflects you, your business and your goal for your business (aka not a cookie cutter type of site).
• Make sure your website is not created with a template.
• Check your developer's website and make sure it loads fast and looks good.
• Check for online reviews about your provider.
• Find out if they have real customers leaving video reviews for them. Video reviews are more difficult to fake and you can have a more personalized look at the person giving the review.
• Check their portfolio.
• Check their social media websites and likes.

Cool... what else?       

With all that said, you still thinking about creating your own website? If yes, please leave us a comment below. If not, give us a call (347.491.6711) or email us at sales@highranksolution.com. Our web developers at HRS Consulting are also Google Certified Partners so you know you will be getting a team that knows how to code and what the search engines like.We can make you an offer you can't refuse...