Creating a website for your small business can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will walk you through each step of the process, helping you decide if a website is right for your business and how to build one that drives results.
Before Designing a Website, Ask Yourself, Does Your Small Business Need a Website?
Before diving into the process of designing a website, it’s crucial to assess whether your business truly needs one. Not every small business benefits equally from having a website, especially if there’s no clear growth strategy in place.
Key Questions to Ask Yourself:
Do you have a clear growth strategy? A website isn’t a magical solution; it’s a tool that requires a solid marketing and business plan to succeed. If you’re not ready to invest time and effort into leveraging your website—through SEO, email campaigns, and lead generation—it might not deliver the value you expect.
Will your website make money for your business? Websites cost time and money to create, so it’s important to calculate their potential ROI. Can your website help you generate leads, drive sales, or streamline operations enough to cover its costs?
Are you committed to your venture? Many small businesses create websites that “sit on a shelf.” If you’re not serious about investing in your business’s success, a website will likely become a wasted expense.
💡 Pro Tip
Take my Do You Need a Website Quiz to evaluate whether a website is the right next step for your business.
Estimated Website Costs for Small Businesses
A professionally designed website can vary widely in cost depending on your goals and needs:
DIY Websites (e.g., WIX, Squarespace): $300–$1,000/year (includes hosting, basic design tools, and domain fees).
Freelance Web Designer: $2,000–$10,000 for custom design, depending on complexity and functionality.
Professional Agency: $10,000–$50,000+ for full-service design, strategy, and advanced features (e.g., custom e-commerce or integrations).
💡 Pro Tip
Consider starting small with a platform like WIX if you’re on a tight budget, and scale up as your business grows.
Next, Choosing the Right Platform to Design Your Website On
The platform you select will determine how easy it is to manage your site and how well it supports your business goals. Here’s a breakdown of popular options for small businesses:
WIX
Best For: Businesses looking for an all-in-one solution.
Pros: Drag-and-drop editor, customizable templates, advanced features like WIX Studio, email marketing, and course creation tools.
Cons: Limited flexibility for developers and higher costs for advanced features.
Shopify
Best For: E-commerce businesses selling physical or digital products.
Pros: Robust inventory tools, secure checkout, and third-party app integrations.
Cons: Less flexibility for content-focused sites and high costs for add-ons.
WordPress
Best For: Businesses needing long-term scalability and custom functionality.
Pros: Highly customizable, great for SEO, and supports complex site needs.
Cons: Steeper learning curve, requires hosting and maintenance.
💡 Pro Tip
For most small businesses, WIX provides an excellent balance of ease, cost, and features.
Designing Your Website Using Inspiration: Model Your Website After Success
A great way to kickstart your website design is by finding examples of websites you admire—especially those that are performing well in your industry.
Steps to Find Great Website Models:
Search for competitors or leaders in your field with an online presence you respect.
Analyze their website structure: How do they organize their homepage, product pages, and contact information?
Note design elements: What colors, fonts, and imagery do they use?
Evaluate their calls-to-action (CTAs): Are they clear and compelling?
💡 Incorporate Competitor Analysis:
Look at design choices that resonate with their audience.
Identify gaps in their strategy where you could improve, such as offering better navigation or stronger CTAs.
A cta is a call-to-action. You should be constantly guiding your site explorers on where you want them to go. These call-to-actions are mostly found in section titles, sentences, and buttons.
Stock Photos vs. Professional Photos: What’s Best for Your Website Design?
Imagery plays a vital role in how your website is perceived. Let me say this upfront: I strongly encourage investing in professional photos. Stock photos, while convenient, can quickly undermine your brand’s authenticity and credibility.
Why Stock Photos Fall Short
Stock photos are overused, impersonal, and often fail to connect with audiences. They can make your brand appear generic and unoriginal, eroding trust and diminishing the emotional connection with your audience.
💡 Pro Tip: If you must use stock photos temporarily, choose high-quality, less common images and customize them to fit your brand.
Why Professional Photos Are Worth It
Build Trust: Showcasing real images of your team, products, or workspace creates a genuine connection with your audience.
Stand Out: Unique, high-quality photos differentiate your brand from competitors using generic stock imagery.
Long-Term Value: Professional images can be reused across your website, social media, and marketing materials, ensuring consistent, polished visuals.
💡 Cost Expectation
A professional photoshoot typically costs $500–$1,500 but delivers lasting benefits that elevate your brand’s perception.
What Pages Are Crucial for Your Website Design?
Your website content is the foundation of your online presence. It should guide visitors, answer their questions, and encourage them to take meaningful action. Before diving into blog posts or marketing content, it’s essential to ensure your core pages are well-crafted and optimized. These pages are the backbone of your website and set the stage for everything else.
Must-Have Pages:
Home Page: Highlight your unique value proposition and include a clear call-to-action (CTA) that directs visitors to the next step, such as booking a consultation or exploring your services.
About Page: Share your story, values, and mission to build trust and create an emotional connection with your audience. People want to know who they’re doing business with.
Services/Products Page: Focus on the benefits your offerings provide, not just the features. Help your audience understand how your services or products will solve their problems or enhance their lives.
Contact Page: Make it easy for visitors to reach you. Include a contact form, email address, phone number, and even links to social media.
💡 Pro Tip
Write with clarity and simplicity. Avoid industry jargon, and instead focus on how your business transforms your customers’ lives. Clear, engaging content will help convert visitors into loyal clients.
These essential pages form the foundation of a successful website. Without them, your audience may struggle to understand your value, connect with your brand, or take action. Once these pages are solid, you’ll be ready to expand into blog posts, email campaigns, and other marketing content that supports your business growth.
The Importance of a Growth Strategy
A website without a growth strategy is like a car without fuel—it won’t go anywhere. Your website should be a core part of your marketing game plan, designed to attract traffic, convert leads, and generate revenue.
What Your Growth Strategy Should Include:
SEO Plan: Optimize your site for search engines to bring in organic traffic.
Email Marketing: Use your website to capture leads and nurture them through targeted campaigns.
Social Media Integration: Drive traffic from platforms where your audience already spends time.
Conversion Optimization: Focus on making sales or capturing leads to recoup your website costs.
💡 Pro Tip
Without a growth strategy, even the best-designed website can fall flat. Make a clear plan for how your site will support your business goals. If you'd like help creating a marketing strategy, head over to the contact page and fill out a request. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Conclusion
Designing a small business website is an investment that requires careful planning and execution. By determining if your business truly needs a site, choosing the right platform, investing in professional visuals, and pairing your design with a strong growth strategy, you can create a website that drives long-term success.
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