A customized website can help your business grow by creating a distinctive first impression in customers’ minds. It also promotes your brand and increases visibility in search engines.
Cookie-cutter templates are cheap or free to download online but do not always deliver an exceptional user experience for your customers. A custom solution ensures a consistent appearance, responsiveness across devices and browsers, and fast load times.
1. Build a strong web presence
As a small business, your web presence is the backbone of your brand. It’s how consumers find you, research your products and services, make purchases, and decide if they should do business with you. In fact, 56% of consumers won’t consider a business without a website.
While it’s easy to whip up a quick site using a cookie-cutter template, the more custom your site is, the better. A good web design agency will work with you to understand your business’s needs and create a website that is flexible enough to grow along with your company.
Having your company listed on local directories like Google My Business, Angie’s List, and Yelp is another way to build your brand’s online presence. This is a great way to reach potential customers who are actively searching for businesses in your area. It’s important to be active on these platforms and to make sure that your content is relevant and up-to-date.
It’s also a good idea to engage your audience and respond to any comments or feedback. For example, if someone writes a positive review on Google My Business, you should take the time to thank them. Similarly, if a customer has a negative experience, you should be proactive about reaching out and fixing the problem. This is a behind-the-scenes tactic that will improve your online reputation and may ultimately increase revenue.
2. Create an online store
You can use your custom website to create an online store and sell products or services directly to customers. Whether you are a retailer, restaurateur, or professional service provider, an online store will help you reach and engage more people, increase revenue, and grow your business.
Choose an e-commerce platform that offers the features you need. For example, some platforms offer different payment options and shipping rates, and others allow you to add a local pickup option for physical products. You will also want to decide how you are going to handle customer inquiries and support requests.
Create a compelling online storefront by adding high-quality photos and clear product descriptions. These can be used to build brand trust and boost search engine optimization (SEO). Using an app such as Square Photo Studio, you can create and edit item listings quickly and easily.
Lastly, add your return policy and contact information to your website to ensure that all your customers have the information they need before making a purchase. Depending on the type of products you sell, you may want to consider including a newsletter block to collect email addresses. This will help you stay in touch with your customers and notify them of upcoming promotions and new products. You can send emails using Square’s Email Campaigns feature.
3. Optimize your site for search engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for businesses of all sizes and industries. When done correctly, SEO can boost your business’s online visibility, increase traffic to your website, and ultimately grow your revenue. However, keeping up with the latest best practices can be challenging. A custom website design in Melbourne can help you optimize your site for SEO so that it is more likely to rank high in search engines and attract new customers.
Optimizing your site for search engines starts with ensuring that your content is relevant to the queries of your target audience. This means researching the keywords that people use to find your product or service, and implementing those keywords throughout your website. It also means using relevant and informative titles and meta descriptions to draw users in to your website.
Fox & Lee, a web design agency, can help you optimize your website for search engines. They have the experience and expertise to help you research the right keywords, implement them effectively, and write compelling titles and meta descriptions. You can contact Fox & Lee by visiting their website foxandlee.com.au to learn more about how they can help you improve your website’s ranking in search engines.
It is also important to have a simple, logical site structure. This will make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content, and will also make it easier for visitors to navigate your site. This can be achieved by creating a navigational page that contains a list of the pages on your site in a hierarchical format.
Finally, it is essential to optimize your site for mobile devices. This is because more and more people are using smartphones to access the internet. Make sure your website is mobile friendly by incorporating responsive web design, which ensures that your website will display properly on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones.
4. Create a blog
Although video and social media have taken center stage in the content marketing world, a well-crafted blog can be a great way to attract visitors and leave an impression on potential customers. The blog page is the perfect place to share new product or service announcements, updates about your company and industry, and general news that can help customers understand your brand’s mission.
It is important to think about what you want your blog to accomplish before you start writing. Identifying SMART goals for your blog can help you keep track of your progress and stay on target with your blogging efforts. Whether you want to entertain, inform, or build an online community, setting clear goals will guide your blog and allow you to measure your success.
Once you’ve established your goals, it is time to choose the best platform for creating your blog. WordPress is the most popular blogging software, but Squarespace and Wix are also good choices if you’re not interested in spending a lot of time on coding.
Once you’ve selected a blog platform, it’s time to get started writing. It is crucial to keep your posts focused on your goals and the needs of your audience. To increase readership, promote your content on social media and in forums related to your niche. In addition, use SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner and Grammarly to find keywords that your readers might be searching for.
