Getting your small business online is a big challenge, one that reaps great rewards, like a larger customer base and brand awareness. There are many steps to follow and things to think about when taking your small business online. Once you have a domain name and a website, what do you put on it? Beyond the obvious name of the company and product or service sold, there are a few other things you want to consider putting online:
- Company Profile
- Include a history of your small business and why you decided to open a small business.
- Management and/or Board Members
- Mission Statement
- Company Policies
- Location
- Include a map or link to MapQuest or Google Maps.
- Contact Information
- Products or Services offered
- Include detailed descriptions and pricing.
- Testimonials
- Include statements from other customers about why they buy your product or service.
- Images of the product or service (if applicable)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- If you find that many of your customers have the same question(s), have a web page dedicated to answering these questions.
- Website Links to Vendors/Partners
- If your small business works with vendors, link to their website. This can increase traffic to your website.
The amount of content you put on your website is up to you. When deciding what to put online, think about all the times you go online looking for information from another company. What do you search for most often? What do you want on the home page? Ask friends and relatives to look over your content to see if anything is missing. It's best to put yourself in the shoes of your customers when designing your website. After all, they are the ones you want to please!