Different Website Platforms for Small Businesses
For many people, websites and web design can seem like another world. However, as the demand for online presence and marketing marches forward, we can’t ignore the need for online platforms. Your small business needs a website to remain competitive and meet the needs of customers.
Easily accessible information like phone numbers, service areas, and an address are vital to your business’s success. Meeting your customer’s initial needs online offers the opportunity to provide them with services, products, and information. Online platforms are critical for small businesses to take their business to their customers. Finding the right option for your needs requires research and understanding what each platform offers you and how to use it successfully.
Options for Small Businesses
If you don’t have a background in web design, you may not know where to start. You can look at website building options from a cost standpoint or look for someone that can give you your dream website. Before you pick a platform like WordPress, Squarespace, or Shopify, you will want to understand the different themes, builder tools, and plugs that offer unique editorial and performance opportunities within the website. If you are looking to get things started but don’t know where to go from there, an experienced website developer can help.
Whether you need web design near Chester County, PA, or elsewhere, there are many sites that you can choose to support your company. These different options include incredibly popular types that can subtly transform your business for the better. We will break down some of the leading factors to help you meet the needs of your business.
WordPress: Quick and Effective
If you just need to get up a website quickly to do business as soon as possible, WordPress is a powerful platform. You can build a site for free using their various simple model sites or purchase a premium account for more control over your site. WordPress is easy to learn and offers various editorial options. Even if you are new to web design, they have user-friendly options that you can use to build out pages, post blogs, and provide your customers with the correct information.
Shopify: Amazing Sales Platform
Shopify is one of the leading sales platforms for eCommerce businesses because it includes multiple apps and an integrated payment processor that keeps your sales safe. It also includes a free trial that helps you get started on your site.
Shopify has some limitations to what you can and can’t design, but overall offers a great space to build out your online store.
Wix: Modern Designs With Minimum Efforts
Wix is a low-cost online platform that may be free as long as you let Wix display ads on your site. It lets you set up a quick and in-depth storefront with attractive styles and fast design. You get hundreds of templates designed to meet your business aesthetic. That said, the many app and plugin options give you a surprising level of control for an inexpensive platform.
Squarespace: Getting Started
This website is great for beginners who don’t know where to start and want something minimal to get their feet wet. It lets you quickly build a strong online business or portfolio using multiple templates that support social media integration. While it has some more limitations, this is a good platform to simply add text and images and build your brand online.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing
When choosing a different online platform for your small business, it is important to consider the following factors to ensure you get the best option for your needs:
- Cost: How much can you afford to pay for your online platform?
- Adaptability: What features and apps do you want on your platform?
- Usage: In what ways do you plan on using your online platform?
- Style: Are there many templates that improve your site’s style?
- Simplicity: Do you feel comfortable using this platform yourself?
These simple factors are critical to consider and may affect your overall site quality. For example, if you don’t carefully budget your purchases, you might end up paying far too much for your needs.
While these platforms let you handle web design without expert help, it is always better to find a marketing team that understands these platforms. You need someone willing to do all the hard work for you and provide a high-quality site that suits you.
Getting Help Today
If you need help with WordPress development in Philadelphia and aren’t sure where to turn, we’re here to help. At SEO Locale, we have a professional team with years of experience supporting small businesses like yours. Please contact us now to learn more about our web design options and to find a platform that makes sense for your online operations.
3 Steps To A User-Friendly Website
If you want to reach as many people as possible as a small business, you need a stronger online presence. The reality is most people use the internet when they are looking for products, services, or information they need.
At the same time, the internet is a competitive place for businesses looking to meet those needs. There are a lot of businesses looking to generate traffic. How can you make your website stand out? Take a look at a few of the steps you need to follow to create a user-friendly website. Partner with one of the best national SEO companies to maximize your online presence.
1. Make Your Website Fast
It is important to make sure your website meets the needs of search engines and your users. That is why you need to pay attention to your speed.
If your website speed begins to drop, your search engine results in rankings can suffer. Your users will get frustrated, and they will simply decide to go somewhere else. This might mean that your bounce rate begins to rise, which can have an impact on your online traffic.
Take a look at your hosting speed from time to time. If you notice that your speed is starting to lag, it might be because you are generating more traffic. You may need to switch to a new hosting service or upgrade the infrastructure of your website. A professional SEO company can help you with that.
2. Make Navigation Easier
You also need to focus on the navigational layout of your website. If your website is difficult to navigate, your users are going to get frustrated. There are several ways you can make navigation easier.
Make sure you have a menu bar that displays all of the options. Ensure that the buttons are labeled in a large font that is easy to read.
Ensure that all of the buttons navigate to the proper page. From time to time, the architecture of your website might change, and you might need to update the buttons as well.
You need to choose the color scheme carefully. Make sure it is easy to read the text against the background. If the background is too busy, your users may have a difficult time figuring out where the information they need is located.
If you keep these tips in mind, you will make it much easier for users to figure out the layout of your website. If they have an easy time finding the information they need, you know you have a user-friendly website.
3. Ensure The Website Works Well on All Devices
Even though there are plenty of people who visit websites using computers or laptops, many people are using phones and tablets. You need to ensure that the website works well on all devices. The vast majority of internet traffic today comes from smartphones. This number is going to go up in the future, particularly as unlimited data becomes the norm.
The screen is smaller on a mobile device, so you need to make sure that your website still looks good. It doesn’t necessarily have to look identical, but it still has to be easy for people to read, interpret, and navigate.
You need to test your website from time to time on a variety of devices to make sure it works well. If you update your website for mobile devices, you need to go back to desktop and laptop computers to ensure the architecture still makes sense. If you focus on routine maintenance, you ensure that your website works well for all of your users. This can make a significant difference in your traffic, your search results rankings, or your revenue. If you need help with your website, our team is available.
Trust SEO Locale To Help You Maximize Your Online Presence
If you are looking for a way to improve your online presence, you need to partner with a professional website design company near Philadelphia. We provide you access to professional, timely, and comprehensive web services. At SEO Locale, LLC., we are a digital marketing and SEO agency with years of experience optimizing websites for better user experience and search engine results. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer!
