On Monday I started off a list of questions that you should ask yourself or your business partners before you build a new website for your small business. Today, I want to continue that conversation by adding a couple more questions to that list.
These questions will hopefully spark more questions for you to ask to help you develop a sense of where the business is and where it can go with regard to a new website. So I highly recommend sitting down and really thinking these questions through whenever you’re going through the new website process.
Take stock of where you are
To figure you where you want or need to go, you first need to figure out where you are. You need to have an honest conversation with yourself or your business partners about the business.
Are you just starting out? Have you been around a while and have a loyal, but maybe small following? Are you an established place in the community? Are you feeling successful or not? Is this something you enjoy or not? Can you see a path to success?
These are the questions you’re going to need to answer, and you have to answer them honestly. If you’re struggling, it does you no good to lie to yourself. And in regards to a new website, it might put you in over your head. Likewise, if things are going well, being honest with how well you’re doing can help you plan for an even more successful future.
So before you start reaching out or even start thinking about what you want in a new website, figure out where the business is are and be honest about it. It will guide you down the right path.
Tell the Story of Your Small Business With a Website
Every small business has a story. And every small business needs a website to help tell it. A website allows people to find you online, serves as a home base for any marketing effort and can help you tell the story of your business. So if you’re ready to give your business its first website or are ready to take your site to the next level, let’s get started on making that happen.
Let’s Get Started on Telling Your Story With a WebsiteWhat are your goals for the future?
Once you’ve figured out where your small business currently stands, you can then start planning for the future. This can include the new website or not. The main idea is to try and see where you want to realistically be in the next two to three years.
If you’re starting out, how much would you realistically like to grow in the next few years? If you’ve been around for a bit, would you like to be more established in the community? And if you’re established in the community, do you want to grow outside of that community into the larger region? Remember to keep all of these goals and projections realistic to your situation.
Once you’ve got your goals for the future lined up, you can really start to plan out what you want with your new website. A new website is like a new car. It’s going to need to last you a while so you get a good return on the investment.
So if you’re goal is to sell around the world, start planning for an e-commerce part of the website. And you want to establish your expertise in an area, plan out a blog. It’ll save you time and headaches down the road and help you reach those future goals.
Planning for a New Website
What are you willing to commit to a new website?
Finally, you need to figure out how much you’re willing or able to commit to a new website. As I’ve mentioned before, new websites are an investment. You’re going to get out of them what you put into them. So are you ready to invest a lot into a new site?
Now, don’t feel too bad if you’re just starting out with your small business and can’t commit to spending a large amount of money on a website. That’s perfectly fine. A small, or even one-page, website will do just so that you’re on the internet and people can find you. Just make sure the site looks like it’s from current day and not the 90s.
But if you’re in the boat of being a stable business and are , it might be time to make that commitment and spend a good chunk of change developing a new website. It can be the thing that really helps your business grow inside and outside of the community.
You just need to figure that out now before you start down this road.
So again, if you’re in the market for a new website for your small business you need to sit down and ask yourself or your business partners. Answer them honestly and let the answers guide you on where to go next. This will inevitably turn itself into a plan and will make the process so much easier and quicker.
