Affordable Web Design For A Small Business – What To Know

Many small businesses either do not have a website or have an online presence which desperately needs to be updated. Some may know that they need to be online while others may be unsure as to whether it’s necessary because they’ve “always operated” without a website. For both of these types of business owners, one of the most common reasons quoted for not being online is concern about the cost of getting on that new fangled internet. The truth of the matter is that building out an online presence can be accomplished without incurring huge costs. Below is a discussion on building an affordable website for a small business. We regularly help new and smaller companies with establishing their online identity. Contact us today to get started.

Why your small business needs a website

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Many entrepreneurs are unsure of if they should put resources into building up their web presence due to the fact that they have been able to operate without one. Such business owners typically rely on repeat customers, word of mouth, and other referral sources. It’s important to remember though, that the universe of potential customers is much larger than the small circle that you may currently be reaching. Being online helps you reach that universe of potential customers. So, let’s take a quick look at the extent to which small businesses aren’t online, how not having a website is costing you business, and why this lost business includes people who are referred to you and then choosing to not pick up the phone and contact your company.

Most of the companies in the US which don’t have websites are small businesses, and they lose customers as a result

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Twenty-nine percent of businesses did not have a website as of 2023^[1]. It goes without saying that the bulk of these businesses are either smaller companies or solo operators. Some may rely on their Facebook page or Instagram feed to serve as their “online presence.” What many of these business operators don’t realize, however, is that, as explained below, roughly half of people form an opinion about a business when looking at their online presence^[2]. This means that most people view a company, without a website, as either “not being a real business” or as a company run by someone who is “small time.” Potential customers who view a small business in this way are, for obvious reasons, unlikely to become paying customers.

The loss of potential customers includes referrals and word of mouth business

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The loss of business due to not having a website includes losing those who heard about your company from a referral source or through word of mouth. This is due to the fact that many consumers will still research a business before making a purchase, even if the business was referred to them by a friend. It must be remembered that, while people like their friends and relatives, it doesn’t mean that they automatically trust their every recommendation. It goes without saying that I may like my buddy a lot, but I may also think he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. If I choose not to call a business that he referred me to, due to the business not being online, then the business owner really has no way of knowing that someone didn’t call him. In other words, small businesses without a website are often losing referrals and word of mouth business and they don’t even know it.

Small businesses can alleviate their loss of potential customers with a reasonably priced website

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Having an online presence alleviates the issues discussed above and helps to grow one’s enterprise. Fortunately, for most small operations, a satisfactory web presence can be built for a very reasonable price. The next section of this article will discuss aspects which should be included in every website as well as pricing.

Small businesses can keep their website design affordable by only paying for what they need

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Many small business owners aren’t sure of how much they should budget for website design services or what a reasonable price structure typically looks like. This is why I’ve previously written an article answering the question of “how much should a website cost?” In this section of this article, we’ll look at how to measure the “affordability” of a website design service (the cheapest option isn’t always the best value), how to keep your costs down when building a new website, and why small businesses should avoid web design agencies that want to start off by selling them a larger package.

An affordable website is one that provides you with needed functionality at the lowest possible price

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I discussed above why not having a website causes a small business to lose customers. This means that the most “affordable” website is one which, for the lowest price, allows such businesses to gain those customers. In other words, if the cheapest option doesn’t help the business then there’s no point in paying for it at all. So for a website to be worth paying for, there are some basic features you’re going to need. Let’s take a look at these features.

Recent studies have shown how people interact with websites and this can help you to understand elements that must be included in a design for your business. Some key takeaways from the data include the following:

• Any website built for your business should load quickly once someone tries to visit it. Recent data suggests that almost half of website users won’t wait longer than two seconds for a website to load.^[3]
• The developer must include important information about your business “above the fold.” In other words, visitors must be able to take in important information from what they initially see on the screen without having to scroll down. This is due to the fact that fifty-seven percent of website visitor time is spent above the fold^[4]. So, in other words, before a user scrolls they should clearly know who you are, what you do, where you are, and how to contact you.
• The website must have clear and easy to use navigation, as the data indicates users focus heavily on how to navigate the website.
• Your website must be mobile-friendly, as the majority of users will be accessing it from a phone or tablet.
• Your website should include structured data which ties it to your various online review profiles.

The key takeaway from this data is that a) a developer needs to be able to build a website which will load quickly and b) they need to have a focus on UI so that the website appeals to your customers. When you’re talking to a developer, it’s important to view their body of work. If it appears in their work examples that they can’t do these basic things, then you should avoid them even if their services are “cheap.”

A website that meets the foregoing criteria does not need to be expensive. There are many developers who will attempt to immediately sell large web development packages to small businesses. This tends to be bad, for a few reasons, for the small business owner. First, Google tends to disfavor brand new websites for reasons which are beyond the scope of this article. Building a large-scale website, on a brand new domain, can, therefore, be a waste of the business owner’s money. It is better to build a small-scale website for a new business and build on it as time passes. Second, the bells and whistles which work for one type of business may not necessarily work for another. It is important that your developer take the time to learn about your business and only offer you the options you need, as opposed to all of the options which they offer.

Small businesses can create an online presence within an affordable budget

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Creating an online presence for a small business can be done within an affordable budget. We offer starter website packages for as low as $500. This package includes the creation of a one-page website as well as the setup of your Google Business profile (which is crucial for any small business). This one-page starter package can include quick calls to action so customers can easily contact you, descriptions of your services and offering, a photo gallery of your products or work examples, as well as an online contact form. We have dealt with many small businesses, ranging from construction contractors to attorneys, who have seen their business grow as a result of this service package. We also offer monthly maintenance services which allow us to maintain your website while providing you with a branded company email address.

A Few Of Our Projects

If you need a larger website than what is provided in our starter package, then we will develop a quote that is meant to help you grow your business within your available budget.

Contact our web development team if you are a small business owner

Modern Website Design’s founder has devoted his career as a developer to assisting small business owners with growing their businesses. We take great pride in the level of service which we offer our clients and we look forward to being of assistance. If you are looking for an affordable website design option, then contact us online or by telephone today. We have offices in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio and we work with companies throughout the United States.

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 References

^[1] Top Website Statistics For 2024, Forbes, accessed on September 26, 2024 at https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/website-statistics/

^[2] Same as 1

^[3] Same as 1

^[4] Same as 1