A Very Simple Site:

A very simple site is just that, a simple site typically one page. The following is the bare minimum you would want in a website if you’re going to spend the time and/or money to make one or have one made.

On this page you’re going to want to fit all of the pertinent information about your business. This type of site is meant to establish who you are and how to find you. It might have your logo, a picture of you, and/or a picture of your business. It will also have a physical address, email address, and a phone number. As an added bit of flair you can also add a map that has a “pin” on your address. If your business has been set up on Google it will also be clickable from this part of the map. Business hours are also a good idea to include on a site like this.

A contact form is not necessary on this type of site, you’re going for clean and concise. if you’d really like a form though, a second page should be added. All of the contact information should then be kept on the second page and the first page should be used to display information about you or your business.

If you have a brick and mortar shop the address along with a map is usually a good idea to have on this page, along with a photo of the business from outside. It is also a good idea to include a phone number and email address. Another popular thing to have on this page is a contact form. This is where someone can send you an email directly from the site itself. Depending on how it’s set up they can request services, send you a message, or even request a quote.

What type of business are these best for:

This is a cost effective solution to begin to establish an online presence. Typically it works well for a brick and mortar store with a physical address. This also works as a temporary place holder site while another one is being built.

In my next post we’ll be talking about a more involved site. One with more pages and what type of content you might provide on those.

The post What kind of website do I need? Part 1 appeared first on Gnome Marketing.

Different businesses have different needs, some people want to sell stuff online, others just want to show who and where they are. A website, or online presence, helps you to do online what your reputation does for you in person. If someone has no idea who you are, or has just started out in the business, they’re going to talk to someone and get a you as a reference. If they don’t know anyone though, and are figuring it out on their own, a lot of people now a-days will look online, they’ll “Google it”. To me, and possibly to you, it makes sense that this is what you do, but it doesn’t to everyone.

I grew up in a world where to do a report you needed to look stuff up in an encyclopedia. You went to the library looking for a book that would answer your question. I learned how to look for things on the internet before google “understood” your question; you had to type in words that you hoped would show up on a website somewhere

In my next post I’ll talk about the different types of websites a business might want to set up. It won’t be exhaustive, but it will cover a few of the basics. For now, the simplest reason to have a website is to give your business credibility. It tells people who you are, along with where you are. Maybe even in some cases what your business stands for or why you went into business in the first place. It speaks for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 ¼ days a year. It tells the story about your business that you want it to. Plus, it’s the first thing someone sees about your business when they look you up on the internet.

What do you want your customers to see about your business when they look for you?

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Getting your business found online can help you bring customers to your business

Online marketing is as important these days as the phone book was 10+ years ago. While some people still use the phone book or newspapers to find goods and services they need, an increasing number of people turn to the internet. They “Google it” when then need something. “Where’s the nearest barber shop?”, or “What time does the grocery store close?” are some VERY common questions that people have always asked but now literally have the answers available to them at their finger tips.

The only way that your business is searchable this way though is for it to be set up properly with an online presence and up-to-date information. If your hours change seasonally or have a physical store (often called a brick and mortar store) it’s important to have this information available to your potential (and sometimes regular) customers. It’s relatively easy to do and set up, it just takes some time and effort to do so.

There are lots of ways that people search for businesses now a days, so it’s important to set them up with Names, dates, times, addresses, phone numbers, photos, and descriptions. Some online services offer additional features that allow your customers to interact with you as well with phone calls, text messages, or emails. Depending on your business some might make more sense than others. Here is a list of the basics you should make sure are properly setup (or have setup for you) for your business in today’s digital world:

• Website (www.yourbusiness.com)
• Business email (yourname@yourbusiness.com)
• Google Maps
• Facebook Business Page

While this might not start driving customers to you in droves right away, it will make it easier for potential customers to find you and existing customers to share the location and experiences in the form of reviews to your business.

To get customers coming to you in droves will involve some more work that we’ll talk about in future posts. In the mean time, I’ll give you a hint, it involves work, more than the above basic online presence and TIME. Several months in most cases.

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