How to make a website

The first question anyone should ask about websites is: do I need one? Websites take a lot of time to build and most small businesses don’t have time to spare. So it’s important – before you commit to the process – to decide if you need a website or not.

Of course I’ve been a little sneaky because I believe every business should have a website and here are my reasons why:

1. Websites are a point of contact between you and your customers
   Any business is only ever as good as the contact it makes with its customers. Without customers businesses become hobbies. Because the Internet is so easy to use people like to get their information from it. If they want to find you there is a pretty good chance they will try to find you on the Internet. If they know the address of your website then they will go there to get information about what you do and how to contact you – which they will probably want to do by email.
2. Your competitor will have one
   Every business (as far as I am aware) is in competition with someone else. I don’t mean that every business is trying to put another one out of business – there are great advantages to having competitors but that’s beyond the scope of this blog. There is a very good chance that your competitor will have a web site themselves and if you don’t have one anyone looking for what you sell/do will find your competitor but not you.
3. Even the smallest of businesses needs to let people know how to contact them
   In the good old days – about 5 years ago in Internet terms – people used to use a telephone directory to find businesses (you may remember them).  Now people don’t just use telephone directories they go online (this trend seems set to continue). I’m sure you can work out the rest.
4. Saves money
   I once got a printer very upset (and I mean very to the point of shouting across a crowded room at me) because I happened to suggest that you could save money on printing by having a website. I think we will probably always have printers by the way but I seem to hit a nerve with my printer friend. The truth is that small businesses can save a fortune by putting their catalog online.

Now I know that somewhere there is a small business that doesn’t need a website. They will  have a long line of prospective customers to sign up and a very happy list of satisfied customers who don’t want any contact with them but to be honest I just can’t think of what that business might be – perhaps someone can enlighten me.

The truth is that 99.9% of small businesses need some kind of web site. The truth is also that many small businesses can’t really afford to get one built for them. That is where this site comes in. Over time I will give you all you need to build your own website.