Do I really need a website? Advice for micro and small business owners.

06/05/2015

Jagged Edge Communications works with a lot of micro and small business owners, and frequently we get asked – do I really need a website? Whether you’re a cleaner, bookkeeper, landscaper, basically anything, the answer is a resounding YES!

Just Google it
How frequently have you said or heard people say “I’ll just Google it”? Thanks to mobile technology, whenever we’re looking for something, we just Google (or whatever your preferred search engine is) it.

Now, think of all those people Googling for cleaners, bookkeepers, landscapers etc. in Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne etc. And you’re not showing up in the search results because you don’t exist online.

Don’t risk it
So, we’ve established that by not having a website, you’re missing out on vital business leads.

The other risk is, if you’re doing any other marketing – flyers, business cards, newspaper ads – it is likely people will go online to suss you out, before they commit to employing your services.

If they can’t find you online (in a time when you can find everything online!) something seems amiss. Lack of an online presence reflects directly on your business in the eyes of Googlers…

  • Are you a start up? I think I’d like someone with more experience.
  • Are you not successful enough to be able to afford a website? I’d feel more assured of quality if you had regular, repeat business.
  • How small are you? Maybe I’d feel more secure with a larger company.

Rectify it
Sometimes you have to spend money to make money – it’s time to invest in a website. Doing so is tax deductible and you won’t need anything flash. Realistically you’ll probably need 4-5 pages:

  • Home (or scrap this and land on the about page)
  • About (maybe this could double as your home page?!)
  • Services
  • Contact
  • Blog

After you’ve considered your site-map, the next most important considerations are:

  • Design; mobile responsive WordPress websites are the way to go, we think!
  • SEO; keyword rich copy that ensures your site ranks on search engines.

Do it right
Please keep in mind that website design and SEO website copywriting are specialist fields.

People waste a lot of time, money and productivity trying to do everything in-house. Most often, these tasks could be completed more time and cost effectively by an experienced professional – not to mention, with better results! Stick to your area of expertise and hire an expert.

Those who think they can do it themselves, often end up having their sites redone because they are not ranking, or because they have such poor design and content that people are bouncing straight off. So all that time and effort has gone to waste, plus they have been losing business all along.

Do it right the first time and you’ll reap the rewards.

Jagged Edge Communications offers corporate quality SEO website copywriting services to those with small business budgets. We’re passionate about SMEs and non-profits, and keep our costs reasonable so our professional services remain accessible to the clients we enjoy working with most.

 


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