Some people look before they leap. Those people are smart. There are lots of statements thrown around about how, or why, a business should use a website. There are also many different ways to start a website. So why would a person want a website, and moreover why WordPress?
There are a few reasons a person would want to have a website for their business. In the following article, we will discuss how a website can help.
Reach a Larger Audience with a Website
I’ll be direct with you, I am a hardcore millennial. That means for a business to catch my attention, it’s going to have to have a web presence. If a business is not run from a traditional storefront, this is fairly important. Many personal businesses start off on a social media platform. Sooner or later they will grow beyond that. Having a website allows for people to search for the name of your business easily. A user can potentially search a particular relevant topic and get directed to your site. The more people who see your business, the better chance you have of making a sale! As a side fact, a quick search tells me that there are 63,000 Google searches happening every second, of every day. That’s a big number! At least two or three of those searches will be relevant to your business. Bf you aren’t out there, you aren’t going to be found. Once you have a business that is going to be operating in a functional manner, having a website is going to be the equivalent of having a sign saying ‘We’re open!’
Convey Relevant Information with a Website
Websites are great tools to communicate relevant information. They can answer questions lie ‘Where is this business located?’ or ‘When are you open?’
A website can give a steady and consistent feel for what your business is about, and who it for. In a small business setting, it also gives insight to what sort of person is behind the business. A website that easily and quickly conveys the information I need is all the more likely to get my business. A local barber has an extraordinarily simple website. It has a basic theme, with his logo on it. It says his hours, of every day. That’s a big number! At least two or three of those searches will be relevant to your business. Some businesses will change, and will require more attention to their website than others. Some businesses have a static layout, and consistent information that doesn’t change. That information is great to have on the website! A word of caution though: If you change prices for your business, make sure your website reflects that. People do not like it when you have a price listed online, and it does not match the price they would have to pay.
Operational Uses for a Website (Getting Stuff Done!)
Websites are great for helping build a business as well. WordPress is particularly solid at this front, as it can be customized with features and Plugins in order to serve a purpose. This can arrange from establishing contact forms so people can email or message a person directly, to tracking sales, bills, and invoices (by using Sprout Invoices for example!) or even putting in custom tools specific to your work. A fair portion of websites use tools to establish what a potential customer is interested in, and to start the process of making a deal. Websites can be used to convey expectations for what the consumer is going to get, as well as what you expect out of the customer. Basically, a well set up website can take some of the initial work as well as more repetitive tasks, and automate them into a system that helps you get more done.
So, why WordPress?
Customization is very easy for those who are seeking to do so. However, for those just starting out, WordPress has lots of tools to put together a decent website easily. Downloading page layouts, changing pictures, clear text boxes are all a few clicks away. Other websites offer tools and layouts, but can be confusing or clunky to use. Other website builders offer you a blank page, and leave it to you where to go from there. WordPress doesn’t drop you into the deep end like that. It offers some guided suggestions as you go along, to try and help make sure that you have got a website working in the way that you would hope it would.
WordPress does not have to be expensive. You can start out with a very simple website for a very reasonable rate. Some web services will provide expensive start-up costs, which your business may not be able to sustain over a period of time. You have less to worry about with cost when dealing with WordPress.
Starting a website for a business can be a daunting question, and a large task. It comes with a great deal of challenge, but WordPress helps make it easier. It’s important to consider the purpose of your website, before you start pursuing one. While I would argue that almost every business should have a web presence of some kind, it is definitely important for it to be a website that works for you, and not against. Sprout Invoices is a tool that can help your website turn from an online billboard, to a staple of efficiency in your business with it’s WordPress invoicing and payment integration! It is our hope that this tool will help you get your work done quickly, so you can get paid and back to the business of your business!