Why having a website is important for businesses of all sizes

Do you have a business? Do you want to grow your customer base? If so, having an online presence is the best way to do it! A website for your business can help you find new customers and retain old ones. It will be easy for them to find out about your products or services. They’ll also be able to contact you with questions, provide feedback, request quotes, schedule appointments, place orders, and more. Plus, if they’re looking for something specific that doesn’t exist in their area then there’s a good chance they’ll be able to order it from your site! And all of this happens without ever leaving their home – what could be easier?

Benefits of having a website for your business

A website is an essential tool for any business, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a small-time operation or a multinational conglomerate. If you want to stay competitive in today’s world, then your business needs its own site. Whether people are searching the web for information about your products or looking up reviews of your services, they’ll find them on your site without ever having to leave the search engine page. Not only does this make it easier for potential customers to find what they’re looking for and contact you at their convenience; through SEO (search engine optimization) we can also help bring more traffic back to our website from Google and other search engines – driving even more qualified leads right to our doorstep!

Common mistakes people make when starting their own site

Websites are the most important marketing tool available in today’s digital world, and if they aren’t optimized properly, they can be hugely detrimental to the success of a business. The good news: with these common mistakes identified by our expert at Ruby Web Marketing, it’s easier than ever before to build an effective website that will generate more traffic and convert visitors into customers!

Most self-created websites have the common problems:

• Not having enough content on their homepage
• Failing to engage visitors with enticing content and great imagery
• Not optimizing the site for search engines
• Not having contact information that is easy to locate
• Slow loading times due to inadequate hosting
• Spelling and grammar mistakes
• Poor website navigation
• Use of outdated styles, layouts, and colors
• Websites are not responsive- do not perform or look good on tablets and mobile devices.

How to get started with setting up your own site

Setting up a website is an exciting task, but it can be intimidating if you don’t know where to start. Luckily, there are tons of great resources available online that will walk you through the process step by step. We’ll go over what you need to get started and how to choose a domain name for your new site.

1. Choose a domain name (web address) that is relevant to the services your business provides.  Make sure it is not too long and is easy for customers to type and remember.
2. Choose where you want to build your website: There are many website builders out there, here are some I recommend.
   1. WIX– Good for a general website or online store: If you do not consider yourself to be tech-savvy, there are a lot of nice layouts to choose from and you can customize.  Wix also has a lot of how-to videos.  You do however want to check out your website behaves on an IPad.  If you do not have one, ask a friend or go to your local Best Buy and view on there.  I mention this because I have run into instances where the site looks great on a phone and laptop but was a hot mess on an IPad. Also, WIX plans can be rather expensive.
   2. Squarespace–  This builder is a good option if you are not tech-savvy and want to sell products online.  There are limitations however when it comes to customizing and pricing options are expensive.
   3. Shopify- Great choice if you want to have an online store, however, make sure you decide who you will be using to process credit cards.  Shopify does not allow for use of Square.
   4. GoDaddy:  GoDaddy can be a great place for beginners to start, and there are a lot of temples to choose from.  You can also host and buy your domain all in one place.  However, GoDaddy websites speeds are not the best. If you want to build a WordPress site, I do not recommend using them.
   5. WordPress– This is my favorite builder, but it is not for those who are new to building websites. Unless you are up for a challenge and want to save money.  Hosting for WordPress sites is a lot more affordable than the options listed above.  I myself use SiteGround.  I build most of my client’s sites on WordPress because I have more control of the design and other features such as custom code and whatnot.  I specifically use Elementor Pro to build- because there are more options and I do not need so many plug-ins.

If you find the task of creating your own website intimidating, Ruby Web Marketing would be delighted to offer your business our web design services.  We keep our operating costs low so we can offer our services at affordable prices. We specialize in small to medium-sized businesses.  We love helping businesses have a stronger presence online with our digital marketing and web design services.