More than an Online Brochure
Most small business websites don’t create much value. This isn’t because they can’t, but because they typically aren’t created with the right objectives in mind. In addition to bad design, most websites for small business aren’t properly managed.
After the initial excitement of launching a new website, they are soon forgotten and fall into a state of disrepair. Important technical updates are neglected and even the information about the company can be out of date.
The root of this problem can be found in the mindset of the business owner.
They are typically very good at whatever service, product, or trade their business is based on. Unfortunately, the business side of “running a business”, especially things like managing a website aren’t as well cared for. Consequently, things like a website for their business get built in the wrong way, for the wrong reasons.
A Better Way to Build a Small Business Websites
Perhaps the most important aspect to building better small business websites is recognizing when you don’t have the skill to get the job done. Once you’ve done this, hiring the right partner is critical. Sadly, most agencies, designers, and developers serving small businesses fail here too. They have the technical ability to get the job done, but there’s a lack of business understanding that leads to failure.
Begin With the End in Mind
A good place to start when building a website is by mapping the customer journey. Not only is this an excellent way to understand the operation of a specific business, it will reveal places where a website can add value.
This is true for both the business and the customer.
Only after you understand what it’s like to be a customer of the business and the actions required by the company to serve them can you start to build and manage a website. Once a foundation of understanding is established, and the initial website built, making sure the investment is properly managed and maintained is the key to long term success.
Self Managed or Outsourced small business websites?
For businesses with less than $3,000,000 in revenue, maintaining a website with employees probably doesn’t make financial sense. Not only does an employee need to have the technical skills and experience, but you’d need multiple employees to do it well. Even on simple small business websites, at a minimum you’d need:
- Technical knowledge
- Design competence
- Copywriting
The better solution is to find a partner that can manage this for you. The difficulty is in finding a company to do this is the same as in having a website built. They must be able to do everything required and do it with the understanding of what a small business needs.
Fortunately there are companies with both the business competence and WordPress website maintenance plans to be successful. Compared to hiring the staff to get the job done, they have all the bases covered and you only pay for the plan. This type of relationship frees up the business owner and their employees to focus on the products and services their customers pay them for.