Business Web Hosting Tips
Why should a business owner need to have a website? This would be the question that most of the small business owners ask themselves when they think about creating a website. Even if your business is small, targeting the local customers and having a web presence is a great way to increase your business. Google is the new phonebook, people don't open up phone books anymore than simply go and Google the type of business they are looking for.
Below are the basic steps that a small business owner can take to make their business know on the Internet. In most small business creating a website, adding hosting and then adding a small bit of marketing can be done very affordable. The return on investment is so great that many small business will recover the money spent within a month or two.
Domain Name
The first thing you should go out and do is find a good domain name that matches your business. For example, if you're a person selling pizzas, then its best to buy a domain that contain the word pizza in it like pizza.com (which you may not get though since its been already registered), or something like businessnamepizza.com. The advantage of having the word that is associated with your business is that you will be getting more traffic to your site through search engines without spending extra money for it. For example if you are selling pizzas, then all those people who are searching for the phrase pizza in the search engines might be getting your site in the first page of the search results since having a domain name with the keyword "pizza" that is related to your business. Search engines give some extra weight when a keyword is in the domain name.
So, what should your website contain?
Homepage
It should have an introduction page or a homepage, explaining about your business and when your business was established, the services you provide, how your customers can benefit out of your product or service and why customers should choose your business Vs your competitors. These are great things that should be mentioned in the introduction page. The homepage is also a great place to put up a special promotional pricing or coupons.
About Us Page
About page should provide all information regarding your location including your contact information. This is a great place for your phone number, your email address and even your physical address. This is a great place to list your business hours.
Services or Product Page
Most business offer multiple service and/or products so it's a good idea to have a service or a product page. This page should mention the types of products and service you offer and possibly the pricing and information about the specific products. This is your opportunity to shine, you have your customers attention now provide all the information that they need to complete the sale.
Web Design
After you have planned out the content for your website it's time to find a web design company. A basic informational website should not cost you an arm and a leg. Often times you can get a small 4-5 page website for as little as a few hundred dollars. The design doesn't always need to be the best and the most expensive but rather just a reflection of your business. If you have the budget then go for it! There are numerous top design firms out there. In our experience it's better to spend the money on search engine marketing Vs a web design. Having the coolest looking website in the world will not bring you traffic if you blow all your money on design.
Small Business Web Hosting
After the designing of the website is done its time to find some business web hosting. The first thing to look for is if the web design company offers 24/7 support. This is extremely important as you never know when your website may go done and might need to call support. After making sure they offer both phone and email support you can also perform a few searches and find reviews about that specific web host. Finding out what others are saying can be very helpful in making your decision. I would not worry too much about disk space and bandwidth as most small business use very little and never seem to come close to the limits.
Search Engine Marketing
After creating a website some might think that is it now people can find me. This could be very disappointing so ensure you save some money for a search engine marketing budget. Hiring a good search engine optimization) company can help delivery the results you need from your wesbite. Companies that specialize in SEO (search engine optimization) can find it very easy to rank for local small business keywords. Keep in mind that SEO isn't done in one day and can take several months to see the full effect of the SEO companies work.
