What makes a great website for new businesses?
So you've decided to take the plunge and start a new business or a new project.
Firstly, congratulations! Taking that first step is often the hardest thing to do.
Now, back to reality - there's a whole host of things you need to do to help your business get noticed!
If this is your first time starting a business, we'd suggest you take a look at our blog post on help and advice for new start ups in the Hull & East Yorkshire region and take advantage of some free help and advice!
Why your website is important
We understand there's a lot for you to do. The name, the brand, sorting finances, premises, accounts and much more. Your website is often just one of those things you need to deal with, however it's really important you get it right from the start.
Your website is a reflection of your business, and in business perception is everything.
If you have a high-end or expensive product or service, your website needs to reflect it.
If your business is all about value and customer service, you'd better make sure that's clear on your website.
It's not good enough to just say it, you've got to show it. Your website is working for you 24/7, so making sure that the message, look, feel, tone, content and images are all in alignment is a pretty big task.
Add personality with bespoke photography - let your clients know who they're dealing with!
Self build? Template? Or a unique design?
A lot of new business are often tempted to go down the self-build route, or they use a cheap WordPress template. The issues here are really down to (A) look and feel, and (B) expertise.
First, we'll tackle the look and feel.
While templates can be an adequate starting point, why would you want a site that looks just like every other business? Why would you want to limit your site by using a basic layout? A good website should start with good design, and with over 30 years experience as designers, we know what works and what doesn't. Every client is unique in some way and your website should reflect you and your business to the best of its ability.
Second, there's the expertise.
The last thing you want to be doing is spending your valuable time building your own website. Do you have the technical skills? The knowledge? The experience? Can you honestly say you know what's best for your on-page and off-page SEO? Do you know how users interact with sites and the best way to format information in order to engage your potential customers?
We do. And it's why our websites work for our clients.
With a bespoke website design you're not limited to standard website templates
Don't cut costs, but don't overspend either
What should you pay for a good website? It's something every business needs to think about.
Go cheap, and you can end up with the 'one-man band' or small business scenario.
Cheap websites are typically based on a cheap WordPress template with a few bells and whistles added. A cheap website is likely to be lacking the expertise, support, features, and marketing know-how you tend to get with larger web agencies.
You may only spend a couple of hundred pounds for your website but you'll also need extras such as a domain, hosting, an SSL certificate, back-ups, and email. It's likely you'll need to pay for any changes you want making in the future too.
And what if that one-man band or small business disappears or stops trading? What happens to your website? It's a scenario we see time and time again and it always leaves the customer high and dry.
Go to a larger web agency though and you can often pay quite a hefty sum. Yes, they'll typically deliver a higher standard of work but it's not guaranteed and it often comes at a price. We find that some new businesses have been quoted thousands for a website we know we could produce for hundreds, and often we can deliver the website with more features and more support.
Cost-effective starter websites from it'seeze Hull. Great design doesn't need to cost the earth!
How it'seeze Hull can help
There is another option (naturally). At it'seeze Hull, we're the small agency backed up with a full support team. You'll get local face-to-face support from experienced web designers and marketing professionals with years of experience working with businesses in Hull and across Yorkshire on projects of all sizes.
We'll meet with you, help you plan your site, discuss options, and support you for as long as you're with us.
We have a full design and development team behind us, a tech support team, plus online resources to help your website perform at its best.
With it'seeze Hull
You'll get a bespoke designed, mobile friendly website that reflects your business
You'll be able to access and edit the website yourself
We'll make sure your website loads quickly and ticks all the boxes for Google
You'll get access to our expertise on how best to promote and drive traffic to your site
We'll cover the hosting, SSL certificate, back-ups, and email so you have everything in one place
Your site will be secure and GDPR compliant by design - always
You're guaranteed your website will always be looked after, no matter what
And it doesn't need to cost the earth.
Our Plus Website Package starts at just £450*. Our Max Website Package starts from just £550* and our Shop Websites start at £700*.
We can also help with branding, marketing, photography, video and much more. Just ask us about our additional services.
Conclusion
Save yourself a whole host of hassle. Speak to us before starting your new website. It may well be one of the best business decisions you make.
*All costs exclude VAT
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