Too many small business websites are merely flyers for your company. They’re the equivalent of placeholders. At most, they give people a map to your location. But, at best, they can presell the audience on your products and services. That way, when the customer approaches you, he or she is predisposed to buy. This article explores how do you make a website for your small business.

See to the needs of your customer

First, put yourself in your customer’s shoes. When he sits down at the computer, what is he trying to do? Most likely, he wants to solve a problem. If he’s facing a divorce, he wants information on the legal, psychological, financial, and perhaps even spiritual aspects of his situation. If you are a lawyer, providing quality, relevant information on these topics will pre-sell the customer on your services. That way, by the time he picks up the phone to make an appointment, he’s already disposed to hire you.

buying cycle of YOUR customer

To understand this, you have to understand the buying cycle of YOUR customer. There is not one uniform buying cycle because every product or service is different. Lower priced items typically have a shorter buying cycle than more expensive ones. The urgency of the situation also impacts the speed. If someone’s bathroom is flooding, they need a plumber now. If they are looking to start a college fund for a newborn, they have more time to make a decision.

quick call to action

So, if your customer needs you NOW, you should have a quick call to action. The client won’t have time to read lots of articles. But, if this is a “big decision” that she needs time to ruminate over, you need to provide lots of quality content and be able to communicate with her over time.

have at least 20 articles

In this case, a “flyer” website won’t help you. You should aim to have at least 20 articles on your website that help people make decisions about the type of products or services you offer. Also, you should have a way to collect their email addresses so that you can be in touch with them periodically.

How do you make a website for your small business that meets these requirements? There are three choices.

You can hire a website design team to build your website for you. If you take this route, it will cost you big bucks for a fancy design. They will probably try to sell you a Search Engine Optimization package. If you want copywriting, that will be extra as well.

Secondly, you can put the page together yourself, registering your domain with one company, getting hosting from another, building the designs from free templates, paying for an autoresponder service, etc. This can be a lonely road.

Finally, you can buy a do it yourself package. These include all of the components you need to do it yourself for one price.

How do you make a website for your small business? With the customer in mind!