It is important for a home-based business to have a business Website. Not having one gives the competition an edge. The trick to having an online presence is ensuring that the website accurately portrays the home-based business' mission and goals. Having the right Website can catapult a business to the next level; while an ill planned and improperly designed site may forever keep a business at the starting gate.
A Website is an extension of the home-based business. It should reflect the professionalism, philosophy and business goals. A plethora of smiley faces and a sea of animated gifs gives the impression of a personal Web page, not a business Website. Remember, the goal is to make the visitor feel comfortable enough to pull out a credit card and purchase products and/or services. The more professional the website, the more comfortable the potential customer will be.
Here are a few practical tips for designing a home-based business:
- Register an appropriate domain name. A business' domain name should either be the business name or something that is a clever rendition thereof. An intuitive domain name will make it easy for customers/clients to remember. Home-based businesses need to utilize every marketing angle and the appropriate domain name is a great marketing tool.
- Use colors that are easy on the eyes and will sell the intended product. Think about the customer base. What type of customer does the home-based business cater to? Know the customer demographics to find out which colors work best. Do a little research to see how different colors help sell products. Remember, the reason for the site is to sell products and is not necessarily a showcase for the owner's favorite color preferences online.
- Make the website navigable. Whether it's across the top or down the side there should be consistent navigation to major sections of the site. This navigation should be on each page, which will allow the visitor to easily return to the main page and/or main sections. If the site becomes very large, insert a search function on each page.
- Be careful of ads. It makes sense to monetize a business site by tastefully placing ads in the site. However, pages dedicated to ads with minimal content will do nothing but scare visitors away. Keep focused and remember the business goal.
- Be careful using fancy fonts. Cursive fonts may work well for a wedding invitation, but an entire Website with cursive fonts makes it distracting and hard to read. Be sure visitors can read the text to gain information. If they have to struggle to read the contents of the site, they will click away.
Some home-based business owners save money by creating their own Website. Initially this may work if the owner is familiar with designing, creating and coding Websites. However, this may detract focus from the home-based business.
Unless the purpose for being in business is to create Websites, it is best to hire someone to maintain the Website. Maintaining a website can be time-consuming and can take the business owner away from performing tasks necessary for the home-based business to succeed. It is especially important to hire a professional if the Website is complicated, requiring features such as databases and shopping carts.
As the home-based business grows, create a budget for professional Web design and maintenance.
Additional Reading: Small Business Websites How to Choose the Right Web Hosting Company
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