Step-By-Step: The Best Way to Build a Website For Small Business
- March 17, 2023
- Digital Marketing, Website Design
Are you looking for the best way to build a website for your small business? As an entrepreneur, having a strong online presence is essential and building a website is the first step. Without a website, it can be hard to get the word out there about what services or products you offer.
But where do you start? You need to make sure your website has all the essential components, is easy to navigate and use, and looks professional. Fortunately, building a website for your small business doesn’t need to be difficult
In this guide to building a small business website, we’ll take you through all of the steps involved in creating an effective and successful site, whether it’s an ecommerce site or a lead submit for customers online.
But if anything feels like it’s over your head or you need help, our team of web developers and internet marketers at Nerdy South Inc. can assist you in creating the perfect website for your small business, just give us a call at (321) 914-0035.
Step 1: Define Your Goals & Objectives – What do you want your website to accomplish for your business?
When building a website for your small business, the first step must be to clearly define your goals and objectives. What do you want your website to accomplish? Are you hoping to get more leads or generate more sales? Do you sell services or sell online? Do you want to provide information, advertise services, or build customer loyalty with blog updates?
Online Store, Lead Generation, What?
Depending on your goals, you will want to create a website that is easy to navigate and displays the right information in an attractive manner. For example, a lead generation website will need to focus on providing information that encourages people to fill out a short form or contact you, while an online store needs more attention to displaying products and shopping cart features.
If you’re not sure what direction to take your website, don’t worry. You can start by taking a look at existing websites that serve similar purposes and get an idea of the features you might want to include.
Skip The Hard Work: Hire an Agency
If all of this seems overwhelming, you can also hire a web design agency to consult with you and create the website for your company. Our team of experts at Nerdy South Inc. can handle your web design, development, email marketing, content writing, social media, SEO needs, and more! Get in touch to discuss your project today by calling us at (321) 914-0035.
Step 2: Find a Domain – Short, brandable, and memorable.
Once you have a clear idea of what your website will be about, it is time to buy a custom domain name. Domain names are search engine friendly and help with branding, so try to find one that accurately reflects the content on your site and is easy to remember. For example, a website about home decor would probably want to use something like www.homedecor.com or www.homedecorator.com.
Most of the domains you immediately think of will be taken, so it may take some time to find a suitable one. If you’re having trouble, you can look for common prefixes (like “the”), suffixes (like “store”) and misspellings that can help you come up with something unique, or reach out to our team of experts and we can consult with you to find the perfect address. We also offer a free domain with any new small business website, so you don’t need to worry about finding one when you choose us to manage your business online!
After you’ve found a domain name that fits your cause, just add it to your cart and complete the checkout process (or let us buy it for you). Congratulations, you now have your very own domain name! Now it’s time to get started creating the perfect website for your small business.
Step 3: Select a Hosting Provider – Evaluate hosting providers, features, and pricing.
Selecting the right hosting provider for you small business website can make all the difference when it comes to customer satisfaction, website performance and speed, and overall cost. It’s important to do some research and compare web hosting services to make sure they have the features your business needs at a price that fits into your budget.
So many of our clients come from companies like GoDaddy because they are well-marketed and have relatively low prices, but companies like this generally don’t include things like regular backups, security scans, and they have subpar customer service systems where you end up on the phone with someone who has limited knowledge about the product and an accent you can’t understand. Sure, you might only spend $10/month on hosting but you’ll more than pay for it when you spend several hours on the phone trying to troubleshoot an issue with your website.
Here at Nerdy South Inc., we are a development and hosting company that understands why budgets are important and we want to make sure that every client gets the web hosting they need at a price they can afford. We offer several different tiers of web hosting packages or SEO packages that all include things like regular backups, robust security measures and regular scans, and around-the-clock customer service so you don’t have to spend hours on the phone troubleshooting.
Step 4: Custom Built or Theme – Save money or be unique?
There are two different options for website design nowadays – custom built or theme based. Each of these options has its own pros and cons. Custom built websites are usually more expensive but offer a unique, original design that can set you apart from other websites. Theme based websites cost less money but may be limited in their customization or look similar to other sites. Ultimately, it’s important for you to choose the option that best fits your budget and desired design.
Custom Built Websites
Most website builders aren’t going to work out for complex websites or those that require a lot of customization. For a more complex business website, it’s best to get a custom built website from a web development agency or freelancer. Custom built websites are developed from the ground up and allow you to be completely unique in your design.
This is always more expensive, but can result in a truly impressive website that reflects your brand’s unique style and purpose. You’ll be able to choose the elements you want to include and get creative with your web design.
It will take more time and money, however, but it can be worth it if you have the budget for a completely customized website as it also guarantees your website loads faster, has less compatibility issues and looks exactly like how you want it to look.
Theme Built and Template Built Websites
Theme built websites are developed using pre-designed templates in a content management system or website builder such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or Shopify. This is a great option if you are working within a tight budget and time frame, as the website template can be customized to best reflect your brand’s needs and personality, such as colors/logo/fonts, while still being cost-effective. However, adding customizations to a theme built site can sometimes be more costly as they may require advanced programming skills.
The Best Website Builder For Small Businesses
There are several website builders out there that provide a great solution for small businesses that want to save money. We have experience working with nearly every single one of these services, including Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, Drupal, WordPress, Webflow, and Weebly. Some of these services are better for online stores or people looking to sell online, while others are better for creating simple websites with basic information. As long as you select the right website builder, or website building platform, you’ll be able to create a beautiful website that can easily grow with your business.
With most of small businesses we consult for or work with, a WordPress site is one of the best website builders because it is cost effective, easy to update and manage, and includes a wide range of powerful tools for search engine optimization and site performance.
If you’re using a WordPress website, you got the best free website builder! With WordPress you can edit your own website as needed or let us do it for you! And with any hosting or SEO package we provide ongoing website maintenance, WordPress updates, and security protection so your site is always user-friendly and running smoothly.
Step 6: Design a Logo and Branding Elements
Your logo and branding elements are the visual representation of your company, and it’s essential to have a memorable one. A good logo should be simple, recognizable, and convey your brand’s message. You can either design your own logo or hire a professional design agency to create one for you. If you want one created for you, our team of graphic designers and branding experts can create a unique logo and brand identity that will make your business stand out from the crowd. We’ll work together to ensure that it fits your vision and captures what your company is all about.
Step 7: Develop Key Pages – Home page, about us, contact us, services, etc.
Building an online presence for a small business is essential today, and having the right webpages can play a major role in this. While all websites need a homepage, adding more specific pages such as “About Us,” “Services Offered” and “Contact” page are great ways to quickly provide key information to visitors of your website.
Having these types of pages can ensure that anyone visiting your website will be able to gain an understanding of themes, services and goals within seconds. Creating these key focus pages is an integral part of the website design process and should be addressed prior to beginning any other development tasks.
Once your core pages are built, you can start to build out other sections of your website to provide more detailed information on the services and products you offer. This is a great way to provide visitors with even more information while also reducing the clutter of having it all in one page. Having separate pages for various topics can keep visitors engaged and make navigation easier, in addition to helping with SEO.
Step 8: Publish Content – Promote your business and share valuable information
Publishing content such as blogs and news articles is a great way for small businesses to promote their products and services while also sharing valuable information with their customers. This can come in the form of blog posts, social media posts, press releases, newsletters, or anything else that offers useful information to readers.
Not only does providing this information help build customer loyalty and keep them engaged with your product or service, but it also helps build visibility on search engines as content is seen as an important factor when it comes to ranking websites. Additionally, content will allow small businesses to target their desired audience more accurately than they would be able to do through other means of promotional material.
Usually we start off any new client with a content audit and competitor analysis to gain insights into their current web presence. From there, we can create an optimized content strategy that will help position the business as an industry leader in terms of delivering quality content. We also ensure that all our clients’ content is well-written, structured, and visually appealing to attract readers and compel them to take action.
We also employ modern SEO tactics to ensure that our clients’ content is seen by their targeted audience and ranks well in search engine results. Furthermore, we use analytics tools such as Google Analytics to track the performance of our client’s content so that we can continually optimize it for maximum impact.
If you’re interested in our content management and copywriting services, please contact us today. We look forward to helping you achieve your content marketing goals!
Step 9: Optimize For SEO & Performance – Keywords, content, and speed.
Once your website is built and you have some starter content published, it’s time to optimize your website for maximum performance. This is incredibly important nowadays as Google and other search engines now prioritize websites that are well optimized for SEO and page speed.
To optimize your website for SEO, there are a few key things you need to do:
Keyword Research & Planning
Doing research on the most searched terms related to your industry and using them strategically in your page titles, descriptions, meta tags, and headings helps search engines understand what each page is about and makes it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. To find the best keywords, we use well-known tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs, and other SEO tools.
Meta Descriptions & Titles
Meta descriptions are short sentences that appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) under the title of your page. Titles, or headlines, are the clickable links that appear in search engine results pages and should reflect what’s on the page. Both of these give users a glimpse of what the page is about and can influence whether or not a user clicks on your link.
It’s important to create detailed and accurate meta descriptions and titles. This helps search engines understand what each page is about and makes it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. When writing these, make sure you include keywords related to the content in order to increase the chances of your page appearing in search engine results pages, or SERPs.
Page Content
Your content is also a huge factor when it comes to SEO. Having relevant and engaging content on your page can help visitors stay there longer, which will improve your rankings in search engine results pages. It’s important to keep the content up-to-date so that users see the latest information about your product or service. Additionally, using targeted keywords throughout the content can help you rank higher in search results. Make sure to use keywords that are both relevant and popular so that your page appears more often on SERPs.
SERPs Features
There are several ways to make the search engine results pages (SERPs) work in your favor. Utilizing structured data, meta tags, and schema markup can help Google understand more about your page and display it accordingly on SERPs. For example, if you add FAQ schemas to a page that features the “people also ask” SERPs feature, Google may pick up on those FAQs and include them in the search results. This can help your page stand out from the competition and grab more attention from searchers. Or if you run an online store, you can use product schema to help Google display your products directly on the search engine results page, increasing visibility and potential sales.
Backlinks & Off Page SEO
Aside from on-page SEO concepts, off-page SEO is also important for improving your website’s ranking in search engine results. A backlink is when another website links to yours, and backlinks are one of the most effective ways to increase organic traffic and boost SEO rankings.
The way Google sees it is that the more websites link to yours, the more important and credible your page is. So you should focus on building quality backlinks from other high-authority websites in order to help your page rank higher in search engine results.
You can do this by guest blogging for other websites, creating useful content with lots of links back to your website, or reaching out to other websites and asking for a link. You should also take advantage of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to share your content and get more backlinks.
Step 10: Analytics & Monitoring
Make sure you are tracking key metrics like page views, bounce rate, and conversions so that you can identify areas for improvement on your website. Tools like Google Analytics or Hotjar can be invaluable to understanding what areas are working, what needs tweaking, and what parts of your website may be hindering your search engine rankings. You should also monitor your website for any broken links or pages that could negatively affect user experience, as well as any technical issues that arise. Regularly reviewing your website for errors is an important part of ensuring the best possible user experience.
Step 11: Test, Test, Test
Testing your website is an essential part of optimizing it for search engine rankings. You should test each page to ensure that it is properly optimized, as well as performing A/B testing to identify areas of improvement. You should test that any lead forms that are supposed to send you an email are actually doing so, and that any pages that are supposed to show up in search engine results do. Additionally, you should use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile devices.
Call Us About Your Small Business Website!
If you want to create a website that is optimized for search engine rankings, you can try to do everything yourself or you can hire a professional web developer and get everything done right the first time. Our team of professional web designers and developers can create a website that is optimized for search engine rankings, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate.
Not only can we develop the small business website of your dreams, but we’ll include a free domain, free SSL certificate, and free professional email address with any new small business site! To get started on building your dream website, contact us today!
When Your Business Grows, We Grow!
We offer a variety of professional and performance plans to help you as a small business owner to get more site visitors, search engine users, and higher conversion rates. Our plans are designed to be flexible to work with any budget and will help you increase your ROI quickly. What are you waiting for? Let us help you take your business to the next level. Call us today for a free consultation!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to create a website for a small business?
The cost to create a website for a small business depends on the size and complexity of the project. Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for a professional website. The cost can also vary depending on the type of website and features needed, such as e-commerce capabilities.
What are the benefits of creating a website for my small business?
Creating a website for your small business can help you reach a wider audience, establish credibility and trust with potential customers, improve customer service, showcase your products or services, and generate more leads and sales. Additionally, having an online presence can help you stay competitive in today’s digital landscape.
Do I need to know how to code to create a website?
No, you do not need to know how to code in order to create a website. There are many tools available that allow users with no coding experience to build professional websites without any technical knowledge or expertise.
Will my website be optimized for search engines?
When you work with our team at Nerdy South Inc, we ensure that all of our websites are optimized for search engines. We use the latest SEO techniques to make sure your website can be easily found by potential customers on major search engines like Google and Bing. Additionally, we can also provide you with additional SEO services to further optimize your website’s visibility.
What types of payment methods do you accept?
We accept most major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) as well as PayPal payments. If you would prefer not to pay online, we also offer offline payment options such as bank transfers or checks.
Is there a contract involved in setting up my website?
Depending on the package you choose, there may or may not be a contract involved. For our standard packages, we typically do not require any type of long-term commitment or contract but if you are looking for a more customized solution with long-term SEO goals then we can certainly work with you on that as well.
Do I need to know HTML/CSS to use your services?
No, you don’t need to know HTML/CSS in order to use our services. We provide easy-to-use website builders that make it easy for anyone to manage their professional website without having any coding knowledge. Additionally, we offer an array of custom design options so that you can have the perfect website for your business.
What is the best builder for small business?
The best website builder for small businesses is the one that gets the results you need in a timely manner. Personally, we believe that WordPress is the best website builder platform for small business owners and entrepreneurs. WordPress is easy to use and provides a great way for you to build a website quickly and easily, with no coding or technical skills required. Additionally, WordPress offers a wide range of plugins and themes for you to choose from so that you can customize your website according to your needs and preferences.
What web builder platforms does Nerdy South Inc. work with?
At Nerdy South Inc., we specialize in WordPress website development and design, but we can also help you develop your website using other website builders for small businesses such as Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, Drupal, GoDaddy website builder, Gator website builder, Webflow, and more.
Please get in touch with us if you need assistance with setting up a website using any of these platforms or if you have any questions about which one may be right for business websites!
How long does it take to build a small business website?
The best thing about working with a web development agency like Nerdy South Inc is how quickly we can get your website up and running. Generally, it takes us around one to two weeks to build a small business website. This time frame may vary depending on the platform you agree to use, the complexity of your website’s design, and any additional features that need to be implemented. If you have an urgent deadline in mind or would like to discuss timelines in more detail, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
What type of support does Nerdy South Inc provide?
At Nerdy South Inc., we value our clients and are committed to providing them with best-in-class customer support. We offer comprehensive maintenance plans for all websites that include proactive updates and security checks as well as prompt responses when issues arise.
Additionally, our team is here to help with any questions or concerns you may have throughout the website building process and beyond. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you create the website of your dreams. Thank you for considering Nerdy South Inc. for all of your web development needs!
Is WordPress good for small businesses selling online?
Yes, WordPress is an excellent choice for small businesses selling online. It offers a wide range of features and customization options that help you create the perfect eCommerce store for your business. With its user-friendly interface, simple navigation and powerful tools, WordPress can make it easy to set up a secure and reliable online store quickly and cost effectively. Additionally, there are countless plugins available to further enhance your store’s functionality so you can accept payments, display products in numerous ways, add shipping options, contact forms, landing pages, and more!
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