Websites for Startups, Launch Your New Business with an Awesome New Website

So you’re finally going to take a shot at turning your dream into reality and start your new business. Good for you. One of the first projects you’ll need to tackle is creating your business website.

Launching your website is today’s version of hanging out your shingle. Without one, your company will lack visibility and credibility. The good news is your website doesn’t have to be a monumental endeavor that takes months to create and even longer to perfect. Keep the following tips in mind as you embark on this important step in your business’s future success.

– You can start off with a small website, just a few pages of content: Home, About Us, Products or Services, Frequently Asked Questions and Contact Us. Eventually, you may want to add product or services pages, articles, work samples, testimonials, case studies and more. But for now, something is better than nothing and sooner is better than later, so start simple.

– Don’t get hung up on adding all sorts of bells and whistles. Flash (moving pictures), complicated graphics, original photography, and other costly frills can set you back thousands of dollars and don’t necessarily translate into more sales. So stick to the basics, at least for now.
Polished and Professional – While your website doesn’t need to be fancy, it should look professional. It’s often the first introduction a prospective customer gets to your company, and you want to make a good impression.

– Don’t get fancy when you design your site’s navigation. That’s not the place to flex your creative muscles. Put menu buttons where the visitor is likely to see them. And name those buttons with common words, so visitors can easily find the information they seek. Unclear navigation causes frustration, and that’s not how you win over a prospect.

– Every page of your website should include a call to action. That’s essentially where you ask for the sale. Tell the visitor exactly where you want him to do next – call, subscribe, buy, sign-up, request information, schedule a meeting, etc.

– No matter where a visitor lands on your site, he should be able to easily find your phone number and email address. Put that information in your site’s footer, on your Contact Us page, and perhaps also at the bottom of the content on each page. Also consider including your mailing address on your site. Unless you’re a retailer, few people are likely to visit you in person, however, they may like to know where the company is based.

– Consider your website a work-in-progress as opposed to something you create and put on auto-pilot. Design it with the intention of expanding and improving it. Down the road, you should add more pages and more information as your business grows and also continually update the existing content to keep it fresh.

– Be sure to look at the sites of your biggest competitors. You don’t want to steal their ideas or content, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with seeing what elements they’ve included and how they’ve positioned their brand.

– As you create other marketing materials such as brochures, ads and press releases, make them consistent with your website. They should contain the same look and feel that is uniquely your company.
Promote Your Website – Once your site is up and running, you want to take steps to drive traffic to it. Add your URL to your email signature and use it on all your promotional materials online and off. Don’t forget social media. Promote your new website on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and any other online networks on which you’re active.

– The best time to create a website for your new business is now! Every day you wait is a day new customers are not finding you and instead are finding your competition. Stop procrastinating and start generating sales TODAY!

Need help creating a website for your start-up business? Susan Greene, marketing copywriter, will get the ball rolling. Contact her in her Orlando, Florida office at Susan@SusanGreeneCopywriter.com or call (407) 578-5528.