In today’s world, having an online presence is crucial for businesses to stay competitive. However, over one-third of small businesses still do not have a website. Here are four essential steps for small business website management that can help them improve their online presence.
Imagine you are looking for a good place to get a haircut. After searching on Google or Yelp, you find a promising barbershop or salon. You then try to find the online link to their website, but you can’t, and it turns out they don’t have one. What do you think? Would you choose a salon that doesn’t have an online presence or look for one that does?
Customer expectations for businesses to have websites are becoming more prominent. Websites provide important information about a company, such as location, employees, case studies, and mission statements. They also serve as a reliable source of information to verify what people discover online on social media or reviews websites. Websites are essential for building and maintaining relationships with customers. They are usually the first place people go to know more about a company.
Based on a recent study, over one-third of small businesses did not have a website in 2021, but the percentage dropped to 27% in 2022. Customers expect companies to have websites, and not having one could be viewed as inauthentic or unprofessional. Some businesses may not have websites due to the cost, time commitment, or because they think their products don’t require an online presence. Some may even use social media as an alternative to having an actual website.
According to the study, small businesses should create website pages that are well-designed, regularly maintained, and filled with relevant information. Here are four recommendations for managing websites:
- Create your website to be accessible to people, not search engines.
- Conduct regular maintenance of your website.
- Consider hiring external resources.
- Create visual content.
Search engine ranking is crucial to ensure that your website reaches the correct people. However, the ranking should not be at the expense of user experience. Websites with too many keywords or filler text may turn off visitors. Therefore, websites should focus on providing information that is useful and accessible to people, not only to rank higher. Regular website maintenance is also essential to ensure that the website is up to date, error-free, and user-friendly. This can be a challenge for small businesses with limited resources or expertise.
Small businesses that do not have resources to maintain their website in-house can consider hiring external resources, such as freelancers or web design firms. Website builders software like Wix or Squarespace can also be helpful for small companies with in-house teams that are not solely devoted to website management.
Visual content, such as images and videos, can make a website more engaging. Incorporating visuals helps break up text and creates a more scannable and interesting website. Visuals are also the main reason for traffic to websites, according to the study.
In conclusion, small businesses should prioritize having a well-designed, regularly maintained, and informative website to improve their online presence. It is essential to provide information that is accessible and useful to people, not only to rank higher in search engine results. Business owners should regularly conduct website maintenance, consider hiring external resources or using website builders software, and incorporate visual content to make their website more engaging.
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