As a continuation of our series on adapting your business to the new normal, we’re going to discuss the importance of a quality website. 

As a result of the COVID Pandemic, people don’t go out with the same willingness they once did. I personally spend more time researching locations to make sure they’re worth the journey before I go and a website is a huge component of that research. When someone looks up your business name, it’s important that a website greets them on the other end. When someone clicks on that website, it’s equally important that that website be attractive and informative. Not only are you making a first impression, but you’re aiming to advertise your business through that website.

It isn’t uncommon for business owners to believe a website is expensive to build and maintain, but that belief isn’t entirely accurate. Companies such as Squarespace allow you to make a professional looking website on your own with subscriptions costs below 300 dollars a year. If you aren’t able to –or would prefer not to– dedicate the time to learn and build the website yourself, you can always hire a professional such as Hemlock Media Co to build your website for you! 

The purpose of investing all this time into a website is simple. The website is an extension of your business and any extension of your business should be serving your business, not hindering it. Not having a website –similar to not having social media– can reduce your ability to acquire new clients especially in such a digital era. Your online presence doesn’t need to be incredibly active, but it should do the following:

• Be aesthetically pleasing
• Inform customers of the basics of your business
• Be consistent and user friendly

Accomplishing these requirements doesn’t take much, but can do a lot to grow your business and help you acquire a new client base.

If you’ve been following along since part 1, you should now have a consistent social media presence and a clean functional website. These two require one thing in common: quality content. Odds are you aren’t a professional photographer, videographer, or designer, so join us in part 3 where we discuss the importance of quality content and how to access it.