A website for small business can generate leads

A website is an easy way to extend the reach of your business. It can assist your marketing strategy, reach a more diverse range of clients and can even improve efficiencies within your organisation.

So what are the essential components to include when setting up a website for small business?

Website basics

Doing business online is different from dealing with customers face to face; it is more difficult for them to establish trust in your company. To give your website a professional feel, you should have:

• Your own domain name: This can cost very little per year and is a worthwhile investment.
• 'About Us' page: List the history of your business and some information about your key staff. This will personalise your small business website and show customers that they are dealing with real people. 
• 'Contact' page: This should contain information on all the ways that customers can contact you, including phone, email and fax, and a map of where you're located.
• Privacy policy: This is particularly important if you have a mailing list or collect email addresses for any reason. This statement should explain exactly what information you are keeping and what you are doing with it.

E-commerce websites

If your business is looking to expand, an e-commerce website can help you sell your products and services to a much wider customer base. More complex than a standard website, it will require professional help to set up, including:

• Effective design: so customers can quickly find what they need.
• E-commerce software: a database-driven solution, allowing easy updating.
• Merchant account: for processing online payments.
• Security and fraud protection: to protect your customers' details (both personal and financial) and your business.

Additional considerations

Ensure you have access to your website statistics so you can monitor its success. And you might want to consider hiring a search engine optimisation (SEO) consultant to get your website listed higher in search-engine results and seen by more people.

The benefits of a small business website:

• Gives your business a wider reach: rather than trading in your local area you can sell to people state and country wide - perhaps even overseas.
• Allows your website to continue working for you long after you've left for the day.
• Reduces repetitive inquiries and the workload of your employees.
• Markets to the increasing number of people now searching and buying online.
• Increases your sales: an e-commerce website can add another income stream to your business.

A well-designed small business website can help you generate new business and reach a much wider audience.

Talk to a web designer today to discover how creating a website for small business really sells your business.