The year is 2020 and this post is coming to you from the self driving, flying car of Fuel Agency. Ok, that’s still a little far fetched but what’s not far fetched is having a website for pretty much anything you can imagine. You can crowdfund the worlds biggest pizza, or create a fan page for your roarsome pet cat. But for some reason many small businesses underrate the importance of online marketing and website design for their own business.
The number of businesses with professional websites is increasing, but there are still plenty of them driving a car, rather than flying one, if you know what I mean.
Research suggests a lot of business owners just don’t have the know-how, time or money to build a website themselves, and surprisingly a number also say they don’t need a website because the don’t think it’s required, or they just use social media. This post will clear the air and answer a number of common questions in regards to the benefits of having a website.
Why do I need a website?
Professional websites meet client expectations.
The year IS 2020, and everyone expects all of the information to be online, including information about your company. Most consumers will research online (insights from think with Google) before making a purchasing decision, whether that’s online or from a physical shop. If you don’t have a website you are instantly putting yourself at a disadvantage.
You don’t need copious amounts of information or complicated sites with multiple pages. The main thing is just to have a few simple pages with all the right information. As long as your site has the right information your customers need, can incorporate search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital marketing services helping make everything easier to find for your clients, that’s all that matters.
How much does a website cost?
A website can be more affordable than traditional advertising.
Many small businesses rely on print media ads and listings to get their name out there, but investing in an ever shrinking area is not the best use of your funds. There is no rule of thumb for websites, as every website design is individual and catered to your needs. Costs are generally decreasing every year and a solution can always be found, to achieve the results you want, within your budget.
How long does it take to make a website?
How longs a piece of string? It depends on your needs, resources, and approach, but we’re here to guide you through & make it easy.
Building a custom website takes time. It can take anywhere between weeks and months, depending on your budget, build requirements and ultimately the outcome you want to achieve. It’s also possible to get an excellent website off the ground very quickly, if there is a clear brief and all content is supplied ready to go.
The easiest way to answer this is to get in touch, and let us know your needs, budget and timeframe.
Should I hire someone to make my website or build it myself with a template site?
The fundamental question you need to ask yourself is “What’s my time worth?”
There are multiple platforms available today to build your own website, so why would you pay someone to do it for you?
The answer:
- It will take you time, likely time away from core necessities of your business.
- Can you build and design it effectively in order to generate new business?
Setting up a website without thorough research and planning can be a waste of time and money, no matter how cheap it was to set it up because without a proper strategy and execution, your efforts will likely never pay off.
Make the investment and hire a professional, you won’t regret it.
How will I update my own website?
A number of years ago this wouldn’t be a relevant question. A website would take months to build and you wouldn’t have a chance of making any changes yourself.
Now days you just need to log in to your websites back end and essentially click the parts you need to change (often doable from a phone as well). We can either set you up with a comprehensive tutorial for updating relevant areas using our content management system (CMS) or we can do it for you! It’s as simple as that.
Conclusion
An effective website is not an expense, it’s an investment and business necessity in 2020.
So put on your self-lacing sneakers, flip up your gull-wing doors in your flying car and realise your website – the future is now.
Call +64 (7) 579 5626 or email us hello@fuel.agency we’re ready when you are.
