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Prior to the 1990s, networking required business owners to wear business attire, wear dress shoes, drive to a given location at a given time, and walk into a room full of people who didn’t know each other. . Get introduced, describe your business, hand out business cards, and hope people remember to call you later. It was necessary. A strong argument can be made that these steps must be followed in order to build strong relationships with other business owners, but new forms of networking have come to the fore.
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With face-to-face interactions and business cards out of the way, websites play a central role, helping small business owners increase exposure, describe their business, and make their products and services memorable. There is no longer a pre-determined place at a pre-determined time. Google has taken the hassle out of networking by connecting potential customers and potential business owners with his 24/7.
Related: How do I launch a membership-based website?
In the 21st century, business owners cannot maintain a profitable business without a way to advertise and communicate with their customer base over the Internet. This means there are a lot of small business owners who find themselves in a difficult situation. They have no web design experience or need to create a five-figure (or more) product to invest in a website.
But for many companies, the website is the face of the company. A first impression is created and potential customers and clients make decisions in seconds when scanning your website. For the small business owner who must go ahead with building her own website, there are several important factors to consider.
Related: 5 things that belong on the front page of your website
What is the purpose?
Define the main purpose of the website you are building. Is your goal to create a mailing list? Product-focused? Want to share more information about your company? Whatever your website’s purpose, it should be clear to your website visitors in a matter of seconds. Tony Haile, author of Time’s What You Think You Know About the Web Is Wrong, has a staggering statistic that 55% of his website visitors stay on a page for less than his 15 seconds. sharing. Therefore, you need to capture the visitor’s attention in a matter of seconds and clarify the purpose of your website.
Web address and web hosting
The most memorable domains or web addresses are the simplest. For example, Nike.com is simpler than NikeShoes.com and NikeAthleticShoes.com. Small business owners tend to overthink domain names instead of focusing on something memorable for their clients and potential customers.
A website must be hosted and stored on a server. Small business owners are lucky enough to have easy access to web host providers. According to Freeservers.com, “There are literally thousands of web hosting services available, from free services with limited options to expensive and professional web hosting services for businesses. It mainly depends on how and what you use the website for.There are many things you want to use.”
Cheaper doesn’t mean better, and taking the time to compare signup and renewal prices pays off in the long run. In Finding a Web Host, he points out, “Some budget hosting companies allow customers to lock in at low renewal prices when signing up.”
Related: Difference between website and app
Content Management
The final decision for your website is which content management system to use. The most user-friendly systems are often also the most restrictive. At the other end of the spectrum, the most versatile systems require a bigger learning curve.
Joomla, WordPress, and Droopal account for 58.4% of the content management system market share. Make A Website Hub has created detailed info graphics showing the pros and cons of each.
CMS Comparison – WordPress vs Joomla vs Drupal
A website is no longer an option for small business owners. Customers and clients expect to find your company on the web. A detailed site can require a large investment from your budget, but most small business owners can create a more affordable solution with a website that can start small and grow with their company. increase.
