Don’t put up a website just to have one. You need a real business reason, or why spend the money? A website should be designed to help you reach your business goals. If you have concrete goals, then you will know what type of website you really need. These are things your website can do for you.
Serve Customers: Tell current or new customers about your business. What you do, your business hours. Answer the questions your customers are asking through great content and a strong FAQ area. Use pictures and video to communicate. If you are a restaurant, then this means menus with photos of meals. If you are a contractor then have a photo gallery of your work.
Find Customers: Use your website to generate new business. Entice the visitor with free items in exchange for their name and e-mail address. A lead generation website needs a flow of interested visitors with a strong call to action. Use search engine optimization or paid advertising to send interested people to your site. Then have a form where they can request a quote or sign up for your email list.
Transact Business: Create an ecommerce website that closes the deal and collects the money online. Your web store can sell products or services. Products can be delivered digitally (ebooks, ecourses) or they can collect orders that will be shipped out by traditional methods. Your web store is open 24/7.
Educate: Use text, images, video, blogs and email to teach a skill or connect with your audience. Offer useful information which is education based marketing. Establish trust and credibility. People will listen with enthusiasm when they are not receiving a sales pitch. This is a great marketing strategy when you are not the low cost provider.
Before you purchase a website, decide your business goals, objectives and digital marketing strategies. Then craft a website that will help reach your goals. Otherwise your website will just end up sitting there serving for no real purpose.