When someone googles your business name, what pops up? Your social media accounts? Yellow Pages Listing? A Google for Business listing or does your website take the pride of place? If you do not already have a stand alone website, now might be the perfect time to start thinking about setting one up. (Because we are about to have a promotion!) There are many benefits to having your own stand alone website and all of which come back to the fact it can help increase your online presence, which will bring customers and sales, no matter what your industry is – and that is the aim of the game right? Having a stand alone website means that you can showcase your brand are on your own terms. You get to choose the colour scheme, the images, the voice and the information that is shared on it. It does not need to be complicated. It needs to show who your business is, what you do and how you can service your customers. Having a stand alone website shows a sense of professionalism to your potential customers and shows that you are ready to do business. Many people who search online for products and services are turned off by being directed just to a social media page or a listing in the yellow pages, they want to see a business who means business. Think of it as an online brochure where you can highlight your point of difference, and update this at any time. A simple website with a home page, contact details, about us page and a blog/news page is all you need! Your homepage is the first thing that they will see when they click on your website. This needs to be catchy and engaging – drawing them in to want to see more. Statistics show that people spend 3 seconds on a website homepage. This means you have 3 seconds to WOW your potential customers. – it is not a long time, this is why having professional images/photographs can really work to your advantage. Your About Blurb should be clear, simple and explain who you are, why you do what you are doing and what you can do to help. It should be worded in a way that will appeal to your target market. In the online business world at the moment, focus is on authenticity, people want to see the real people behind the brand, so don’t be afraid to add yourself in! Contact details are the most important part of your website. Without the correct details on there you will not generate the leads you are looking for. Use as many methods to contact you as required and also have a contact form where they can leave their details for you to call or email them back. A blog/news page is highly recommended on your website. This is a place where you can share blogs and articles about your business, tips for customers at home and personal experiences. A blog page can work as free marketing when shared to other places online. It will also help with your SEO as sharing creates backlinks, which is one of the key SEO Points to utilise when trying to increase your Search Engine ranking. When creating your website, whether you are doing it yourself or you have outsourced it to someone else – make sure that it is mobile friendly and responsive. We are a technology based existence now and most people will whip out their smart phone to do a google search rather that powering up a laptop or desktop. If your website is not correctly configured to handle mobile devices they will find it difficult to find what they are looking for and become frustrated. Remember your website should be the central point of your online existence. All other avenues should leave back to it. Your stand alone website is your number one online tool for your business – so make it work! #website#theislandcreative#socialmedia#business