Whether you own a small cafe, are a fitness trainer or have a retail shop, you need a website. Having a website for a long time is not something to consider whether it is necessary, but something that you absolutely must have. If you rely on word of mouth know that it is not nearly as effective as it used to be. Nothing can be compared with online presence. The fact that it is a small business, even if it is a brick and mortar one, does not change the situation at all, on the contrary. If you’re not online, you practically don’t exist. The only thing that is different when you have a small business and not a large company are smaller funds that you can invest in everything, including creating a website.
However, there are many ways to create a stunning small business website without it costing you several thousand dollars. There are so many ways to make everything so that it is user-friendly and that your existence is noticed. And even to spend very little money on the whole endeavor. Don’t worry if you have no experience, you can do a lot on your own. Keep reading and find out inexpensive ways to build one that will greatly improve your business.
Start by choosing cheap building platform
The first step you need to take when you have a limited budget is to choose a building platform that is not expensive and that does not require you to have any coding knowledge. Here, WordPress certainly imposes itself as the best option because it is very simple. It has a lot of features, gives you full control over the website, and it is also very easy to use. Of course, there are other builders who offer you various options when it comes to design, and they are also not complicated nor expensive. So research well and think about what best fits your idea. Remember that you should choose one where you won’t need to spend more than 20 dollars a month.
Use preexisting design themes
Of course, the ideal option is to have a completely original design, but it will probably be too expensive for you, and it will not have a big impact on your business at all. So it is not worth spending money on that. Therefore, especially in the beginning, use already existing design themes. WordPress offers over a thousand free themes, and there are other sites where for less than a hundred dollars you will get several thousand themes that you can use. So you will surely find something that suits you, and you will not spend money on hiring a web designer.
Pay attention to domain name
Although you want inexpensive options, it is still important to consider all the factors that will affect having a stunning small business website. Your domain or website address is very important. And it is important for two reasons. The first is because it is the entry point to your site so it should be easy to remember. Keep it short, easy to remember, avoid numbers and also explore if there is one with a similar name. You would not want a potential client to go to your competition because he mistakenly open wrong website. Of course, most domain names are already occupied, so that means you will have to buy it. Find one where you will have to pay reasonable price.
Another reason why this is very important is SEO. Search engine optimization is something you should think about from the beginning because it has a huge impact on your success. Choose an SEO-friendly website address that includes keyword, your location and the like. As SEO experts from a Cliqued media agency have told us, choosing a domain name is the first step towards successful on-site SEO. On site SEO is the process of customizing a website to be well optimized for search engines.
Hosting is very important
If you have opted for WordPress then now is the important moment when you need to find a hosting provider. It is a company that offers you technology services to make your website online. It can cost from a few dollars a month to hundreds of dollars. The quality of service as well as support will depend on the price. We do not recommend the cheapest option, which is a shared server. As the name suggests, this means that you share the server with other websites which can lead to your being very slow. And yet you want great one, not one with loading time like 15 years ago. Dedicated server is probably too expensive for you, so it is best to opt for a virtual private server (VPS). Also make sure that the hosting company has quality support that is available 24/7.
Outsource
Outsourcing is a great inexpensive way to get everything you want, even design. The best option is to outsource abroad because through various platforms, such as Fiverr, you can find great designers, SEO experts, content writers and the like at a much lower price. The USA and Western Europe are the most expensive, so you can opt for Asia for example, because the prices there are significantly lower. That way you will get great service, for only a fraction of the price you would pay in the western world. Or you can hire a student from art school to do it for you, also much cheaper.
Constantly update content
Your website needs to be interesting and you should constantly update new content so people have a reason to come back there. Create a blog where you will write about different things concerning the niche of your business. This is a very inexpensive option, and will be very useful and will make your site extremely visited.
Conclusion:
There are so many different ways that will allow you to have a fantastic website without spending a lot of money. It is not necessary to have a unique design, dedicated server and the like right away. It is essential that you launch one that is reliable, has interesting content, reliable payment methods and high loading speed. You can improve everything else over time.