Does your business need a website? Does Elvis like sparkly jumpsuits? Well thankyouverymuch, yes he does, and yes you do.

Whether you have just launched or you have been around since the days of Mr Presley, a website will provide so many opportunities to you and your business. Building a website will open your business up to new markets and demographics – no longer are you restricted to doing business in your own backyard. You can also position yourself as an authentic expert in your field – providing knowledge and advice, and act as a lead generator or sales funnel.

So now you know that you need a website, we’ll guide you through the key benefits, how it can improve your business and show you how to get your new website up and running; what type of site you might need, how much it might cost (the million dollar question) and who can help you turn your digital dreams into reality (spoiler alert: nettl).

Importance of a Website to a New Business

Your website takes you global. Having an online presence massively extends your market reach. Even if you’re not looking for world domination, having a website means many more people than those who walk by your store or hear about you from their friend can find you. A great website empowers potential customers to connect with you, understand the way you work and learn more about your services from wherever they are, at whatever time they choose. Your website doesn’t have trading hours, it’s always open to share your message with visitors.

Now that we’ve established how your website can help more people know that you exist, how can it be used to get them to like and trust you more? A website, when well created, is a wonderful place to showcase your brand values, personality and way of working. Use video content, testimonials, imagery, layouts and so much more to help potential customers establish an understanding of what it means to work with you, before they have even committed to stepping foot inside your store or office.

A great website will showcase your greatness, for all the world to see. An online portfolio of your business, recent projects & testimonials, company background and frequently asked questions section – each builds credibility and trust as potential clients learn more about you, see your expertise and see that you’re here to stay. Most people do their homework – they’ll stalk the hell out of your website before getting in touch. A shoddy site, and they won’t even pick up the phone (I know I’ve gone somewhere else if the site misses the mark!  Most customers will research your business online before purchasing from you, gain their trust with a credible website that builds authenticity.

Types of Websites

Don’t know where to start with getting all aboard the old interweb train? We’ll explain the types of websites you might want for your business.

Portfolio Website

Establish your online presence with a simple portfolio website. This type of website has simple functionality, it might include a gallery, blog and a simple contact form. You can use it if you are looking to showcase case studies, testimonials and information about your business online. A beautiful portfolio website will open your business up to wider audiences. This will also improve customer experience as clients can find lots of information about you online, without having to call or visit you. It can even be a great lead generation tool, as potential clients see your work in case studies and imagery while still in their research phase.

E-commerce Websites for New Businesses

Another common type of website for businesses is an e-commerce site. With an e-commerce website, visitors can purchase products or services through your site, process payments and even receive confirmation and receipts.

E-commerce websites offer a wide range of reporting that tells you all about the transactions that have taken place. Integrate Google Analytics to your e-commerce website and you can track everything from which audiences are purchasing the most from your site, to which pages on your website are leading them to purchase. You might want to sell a product, like custom built guitars (droool), or a service, like an hour long consultation.

Monthly subscriptions and membership websites can also be a great way to get people hooked on your knowledge and get you receiving recurring payments. Knowledge is power!

E-commerce websites open your business up to far wider-reaching opportunities as you can transact with people regardless of time or location – 24/7 selling, baby!

Connect Website

The third type of website new businesses typically look for is a connect site. This type of website usually requires some additional functionality beyond a portfolio or e-commerce website. Some examples might include a restaurant owner who wants to integrate a reservation system, like Open Table, into her site so customers can book a table straight from the website into her system – no need for a cumbersome booking diary, scribbles aplenty. Connect websites offer an increased level of functionality. We can custom build a booking system so your customers can select a date and time for their eyebrow wax or choose which person they’d like to crack their back back into place. Ouch!

They can really impact the way a business runs. Time savers = money savers.

What do Businesses Use Websites for?

When researching the type of website you will need, begin by identifying your goals for the site.

Some of our clients are sole-traders, they don’t always have the capacity to answer questions or take enquiries over the phone. They promote their simple brochure-style portfolio website to potential clients. This way, the client can do more for themselves, and the owner knows that he isn’t missing potential clients while he’s working on a project.

Someone else might want to use their website to access a wider market, and need to sell online to facilitate this.

You might want to streamline the way your business operates. Rather than taking booking requests over the phone, via email and from walk-ins, a hairdresser might integrate their booking system to their website and have all bookings come in to the one place, rather than having to manually manage 3 different sources of bookings.

Who Can Help Me Build a Website?

There’s a bloke down the pub… There’s also your son’s friend, probably. Although, trust us when we say we’ve heard more of those horror stories than we ever care to remember…

Nowadays, there are a millions ways to get online depending on your proficiency, network and goals as a business owner. DIY builders are plentiful and use snazzy templates – you can knock something up that looks the ‘bee’s knees’. But, without the foundations and expertise of a web designer, the website may ‘bee’ lacking and your customers will ‘buzz’ off – if they can even find your sweet nectar in the first place. Bzzz.

So, that’s where we come into your life. We’re the ones you’ve been waiting for. We create websites for local businesses day in day out. We work directly with you to get rooted in your business. That way, we are the people who build your brand with you, create your marketing campaigns, design your website and so much more. We cherish our relationships with our clients, and want their business to succeed, so nothing gives us greater pleasure than seeing a new business go live with their website.

So for those about to web, we salute you. Choose Nettl