small business

In today’s super competitive marketplace, consumers are no longer relying solely on product or service referrals from family and friends. More than ever, they are validating major spending decisions by pre-shopping on the web, making it extremely important for even traditional brick and mortar businesses to establish a strong online presence. While this can seem like a daunting task, there are a few easy steps you can take to make the process as painless as possible.

1. Select a professional web designer.

   A trained web designer can help translate your brick and mortar vision into a beautiful online version that will attract your target audience and help convert them into buyers. While it can be beneficial to choose a web designer with previous experience in your industry, don’t necessarily rule out a designer with no direct knowledge of your particular product or service – a great web designer will be versatile, creative, well-rounded and able to design for any industry by asking the right questions and being responsive to feedback.

2. Choose your domain name and web host.

   This is a critical step. Your domain name should be easy to remember, highly relative to your business and not easily confused with other website domains (e.g. whitehouse.com vs. whitehouse.gov). When selecting a web host, keep in mind that affordability, reliability and great customer service are the three biggest factors to consider. Also, it’s best to go with a hosting company that is database capable, thus allowing for future site growth and cutting-edge software. Many companies who transition their brick and mortar businesses online often begin by building a simple website, later adding the extras (e.g. shopping cart, the ability to accept payments online, etc.). Ensuring that your hosting company is database capable at the start can save you a lot of headaches down the road when you’re looking to expand the site.

3. Create a unique branding identity.

   A beautiful, distinctive company identity is critical for businesses that are serious about leveraging their websites to build a brand and generate sales. A professional graphic designer has the tools and know-how to thoroughly research your target market, competitors and industry to develop an identity that fully represents your company’s product/service offerings and overall vision. Your revamped business identity may include a new logo, website, brochure, letterhead, business cards – all of which should be highly customized to reflect your desired look and business needs.

4. Utilize proven Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics when building the site and writing content.

   When selecting a professional web designer and developer, ensure that they build the site utilizing SEO best practices. Most importantly, the developer should be well-versed in writing spider-friendly web code, building clean navigation and ensuring maximum usability for your website’s visitors. This, along with incorporating strategic keywords and keyword phrases into your web copy, can positively affect your search engine rankings, attract and generate a connection with your target audience, and ultimately boost sales. When choosing keywords, keep in mind that you should always aim for quality of traffic vs. quantity of traffic. Selecting highly specific keywords and phrases (i.e. “San Francisco vegan bakery” rather than just “bakery”) will help narrow your focus and generate site visitors that are more likely to convert into customers.

5. Promote!

   Once your brick and mortar business is online, it’s time to promote! Leverage social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Yelp to get the word out and interact with your target audiences. Be sure to tell your friends, family and current clients/customers about your online presence, and think about offering short promotional sales to expand your fan base and reach on the web. Also, consider utilizing Craigslist, Facebook and Google for free and paid advertising, which can offer additional opportunities to reach a specific niche customer.

As the adage says, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.”

Today, nearly all consumers pre-shop online to validate large spending decisions, making it more important than ever for your organization to have a strong, compelling web presence. While it may be tempting to take the do-it-yourself route when it comes to your company web site, you’ll be much better served to hire a professional web designer who can translate your brick and mortar vision into beautiful online outlet that effectively positions your brand for both online and offline success.