How to build a professional website for a small business?

There is no need to mention that nowadays you’ll rarely find a (small) business without an online presence. Having a professional website is basically the first impression of your business and we all know how important first impressions are. Furthermore, you just can’t don’t stand a chance among all those competitors unless you don’t have a  website that meets certain criteria.

All in all, there are no doubts that you should invest in building a good company professional website, yet it costs. A lot. If you are a small business owner or an entrepreneur every dollar counts and you can’t afford to spend all your budget on a website, right?

Luckily, there are many tools, tips&tricks that can help you to craft a professional website by yourself and save a bunch of money.

Let’s dive into more details. 

Available options to choose from

If you type on Google the phrase “create a website” you’ll get a bunch of different results. Website builder ads, web development agencies promoting their work, freelance developers and designers, etc. 

Let’s get familiar with the cost or each option you have so you can narrow your choices.

To hire a (freelance) developer

The rates of hiring a freelance developer vary depending on his expertise. However, the average hourly rate is something between $61 – $80. If you take into consideration that the developer needs approximately 70 hours (a bit more or less) to get things done, you’ll get charged a couple of thousand dollars.

Of course, the benefits of a dedicated developer working on your site are numerous. You can customize everything that you wish, get professional advice, etc.

To hire a web development agency

Costs of hiring an agency to build your don’t vary much from the freelancer’s. They also depend on the agency’s overall rating, but here’re some estimates:

Web design costs for a website of 8-16 web pages range from $9000 to $12000. Then there are annual site maintenance costs that vary from $400 to $1200. If you want some custom designs, graphics, or image/video editing, add a thousand dollars more.

DIY website using a website builder

Creating a (good) website by yourself doesn’t necessarily require coding skills. Today, you have a wide range of drag&drop website builders to choose from (just google them and you’ll get a bunch of options).

Find a suitable template to start customizing it, or, if you are creative enough to craft a website from scratch.

Website builders have different pricing plans (from $0 to $30 per month). No matter what option you chose, keep in mind that there are some additional costs like:

Domain: $12 – $60

Hosting: $35 – $600

SSL certificate: $0 – $200

Apps and integrations $0 – $100

Compare all alternatives and choose the one that fits your budget.

Content that you’ll need 

Good copywriting equal good sales.

Your content needs to be aligned with your mission, business niche, target customers, etc. For example, if you are providing medical services you should go for a sharp tone, but if you are selling hipster clothes it is allowed to use slang and show some sense of humor.

There are a couple of pages that your site should have, no matter the business you are providing:

• About us: where you will try to gain your (potential) customer’s trust. Share your story and let them know why your business is the right choice for them.

• Contact us: use a contact form since it seems more professional but leave your email address written as well, just in case there’s a bug with the form or similar.
• Legal: pages like Privacy policy, Terms of Service, Refund Policy, Shipping policy, etc. are very important to have since that way you show that your business is legit.
• FAQ: try to anticipate the questions your site visitors would have and provide them with thorough answers upfront.

As for the languages your content should be translated to, it all depends on your (desired) audience, yet perfect grammar goes without saying.

Let the site design speak for itself

Your website needs to look professional and by that, we mean that you need to have top-notch design and overall business branding. Choose the color palette, font style, characters, and graphics that will be recognizable for your brand. Add some dynamic graphics, videos, or catchy effects that will make your website stand out.

When a potential client or customer visits your website he needs immediately to realize that your business is all about quality!

You can always hire a designer to help you out, or leverage tools like Canva, Designbold, Crello, etc. When it comes to images, it is strongly recommended to use just ones that are royalty-free. Check out Unsplash or Pixabay, they have a wide range of great photos you can use.

Conclusion

Creating a website on your own requires you to invest a certain amount of money and time. There are many options to choose from. Yours is to explore them and find the right combination of development, design, and copy that aligns well with your core business values (but budget as well).