Here’s a little known secret: You no longer need an expensive website designer or agency to build you a great website. In fact, nowadays you don’t need to know how to code to build a jaw-dropping, gorgeous website. All you simply need is a cloud-based website builder. If you are a small business with a limited budget and design capabilities, website builders are a great option.
Below are some key points to remember when selecting a cloud-based website builder for your small business:
1. Create a wish-list of your goals
Aside from the usual traffic and conversion goals, which almost every website is fighting for, you need to decide what you want to achieve with your website. Start by creating a long list that includes website goals, must-have items, and like-to-have items. Then take a step back, analyze the list, and discuss it with your team. Once the list is narrowed down, you’ll have an idea of what you’re looking to achieve.
Some questions to ask yourself as you create this list: What types of websites do I like? What are my competitors doing? What content do I want to feature on my website? Do I need an online store?
2. Research and evaluate your options
In the last few years website builders have gained much ground in various markets and as a result, there are more and more website builders released into the market everyday. Make sure to evaluate your options carefully. For this item, you can take the list from above and use it to evaluate each option you have. Whether it’s a certain look and feel or specific capabilities, make sure to always evaluate the options available against your website goals.
3. Check the templates
The best part about a cloud-based website builder is all the different templates available! Most will even offer access to try them out before you sign up. This makes it easier to find both the template and builder that matches with your website goals! Each builder has different ones and if you feel overwhelmed by choice, try taking a break and looking at what is working for others in your space. This can help you figure out what you like and don’t like in order to narrow down the templates.
Pro tip: Zeendo categorizes their templates by professional categories, which can be used as a guide as what works best for your industry.
4. Know your audience
This is one of the most important items and it goes beyond simply creating a website. Know who you are trying to target and what their interests are. This should be the foundation of all of your marketing efforts. Your site will need to cater to their needs and interests. Keeping this in mind when you are selecting a web builder can help you build a site that caters to your audience. This should also extend to all of the content you write and the graphics you choose.
Example: If your audience is hair salon owners, then make sure you choose a friendly and sleek design with a feature that allows you to display client photos. Take some time to get to know your audience and it will help you choose more than just a website builder.
5. Pick the website features that help your business goals
Most website builders today comes with integration capabilities with well-known 3rd party apps like Google, Yelp, PayPal, OpenTable, social media sharing etc. These all have a multitude of benefits when implemented. For an example if you are a restaurant an OpenTable feature on your website will help your audience book reservations right from your website! Do some research when you are looking at website builders, see what they offer that would be of value to your business. There are many features that website builders can easily add to your website that can take your site from a simple web page to a robust website that that drives value to your brand.
Website builders come loaded with so many features and options that there is plenty of options for every kind of website you want to build. First start with your goals for your website, and slowly, but surely, you will be well on your way to building your website with ease, flexibility, and control.
