I get it – if you are a small business owner you have a business to run and things to do that don’t include babysitting your website. From building a website from scratch to digital marketing for results, you probably have a lot of stories you could share of similar frustrations of website owners.
Here are a collection of some of the biggest frustrations from small business owners like yourself and tips to help.
1. It is expensive.
Websites can be expensively outsourced or bootstrapped from the ground up. It is nearly impossible to give a price tag on a website based on number of pages alone because there is complexity in coding, design, and content that must be accounted for. Whatever design company you work with, they should be providing clear and up-front pricing for their complete services. Whatever you do, make sure you get a contract in writing and it is specific.
Tips for keeping your costs low:
- Do it yourself, with some outside help. A long time ago and far far aware all websites used to be fully custom code. Now, most websites are powered by content management systems like WordPress that let even novices build sites with minimal help.
- Write content yourself. Your website will need content for the pages you write. Your employees and fellow employees are probably experts in what you do, and might be able to write your content for your site. Just make sure to edit and ensure it is readable by others.
- Consider freelancers and local talent. If you go with a big design agency, you will pay a premium. Don’t get me wrong, they are great at what they do but there are probably freelancers in your local community that can do a fantastic job.
Quick overview on what WordPress is:
2. The website is lacking features I need.
Features are called requirements in the design and coding world. Requirements for a web design project are what drives what the finished project will look like. Simple put, requirements are how you want the website to look and what you want it to do. If you requirements are wrong or not thought out up front, this can lead to big problems down the road.
How to solve unclear requirements:
- Make sure your design company is listen to you and asking questions. They have experience, and should be leading you to discovering issues that may crop up down the road.
- Involve a lot of different people brainstorming and flushing out your requirements. People form ownership to sales to customer service will have ideas on what the website needs to do – listen to them.
- Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Once you have a big list, whittle that down to what is feasible. Sure, you can have everything but the cost and time is out of reach. Think critically about what is really important.
3. Site updates are a pain.
Horror stories exist with really expensive sites built out and not being updated regularly. Regular updates to websites keep it fresh for both readers and search engines, and should be something you have a plan for. However, if you don’t have the skills and resources to update, you have a problem.
How to solve the update problem:
- Make sure your site is built with a content management system (CMS) AND you know how to login/use it. CMS systems allow you to create, update, and publish content with minimum effort. Also, maintain multiple logins so that if someone leaves you aren’t locked out.
- Get training on how to update from your website provider
- Spend some time researching content marketing to understand what you should be publishing.
4. Search Engines are not ranking my site.
Search Engine Optimization is an art and a long-term process. If you expect to rank on page one of google, you will be dedicated to spending time and resources on curation, link building, and developing relationships with other websites.
How to solve the ranking problem
- Be realistic. It can take months of dedicated effort to rank well, and you will probably never rank on page one for very competitive terms.
- Have a plan. Develop a plan (either internally or externally) dedicated to link building, content curation, outreach, and more. Targeted and strategic plans and better than unfocused efforts.
The launch of a new web site is a big milestone, for sure. Congratulations on making into the wild west that is the internet, and best of luck with your website!
