Owning a business means you have to constantly make decisions about where to allocate time and resources. This leads to many tough decisions. A big one we see a lot: does your business need a website?
In short, the answer is a resounding YES.
Different companies need different types of websites, but they can all benefit from having one.
Does Your Business Have A Website?
When asked if a company really needs a website, we always first reply by asking: Does your business have a website?
Sometimes people have a site that they don’t like maintaining, and they’re just trying to cut costs. In that case, it’s usually best to look for a cheaper/easier option, or look at getting help with it.
If you’re in a spot where you’re wondering if you need a site, you probably do. Websites can be super affordable and easy, very expensive and elaborate, or anything in between. The big decision is deciding where you fit in.
Can You Run A Business Without A Website?
You may be skeptical of such a definitive answer about the need for a place in cyberspace. That makes you wonder – can you run a business without a website?
Unless your business model absolutely requires a site, of course you can!
The better question is if you should run a business without a website. At the basic level, websites are so easy and affordable that you’re basically missing out on a free advertising channel.
So do yourself a favor and set up a simple website. If for no other reason, it helps people find you when they’re looking for you.
If you skip this step, your customers are likely to find your competitors when looking for you, and we find it unlikely that you’re excited about that strategy.
But, Does MY Business Need A Website?
Ok, we get it. Other people need a site. But, here’s what we get a lot:
Does my business need a website? We’ll just make do with free social media sites.
You’re half right! Definitely make use of those social media platforms. Your customers are probably on them anyway, and they will help them find their way back to your site. This makes them great for general awareness building, as well as boosting your SEO.
Ultimately, websites are so cheap that it’s a mistake not to have one. Do you print off forms from the IRS and do your business taxes with a calculator? That’s the equivalent of not having a website.
What Costs Are Associated With A Website?
There are obviously costs associated with a website. The good news is that they can be very low if money is tight. Let’s go over the main things you’ll need to pay for (and which are optional):
- Domain Name (required)
- Hosting (required)
- Web Design (required)
- Custom Design (optional)
- Site Maintenance (optional – but not if you don’t like dealing with hackers)
Domain Name
This is your URL, or what people type in to find your site (ours is https://curiousrex.com/). These usually run about $20 per year, unless you want something super desirable. But we recommend skipping anything above $100, unless you have a specific reason for needing it.
Most people head to a search engine and pop in your company name, so it’s a much better idea to invest in search engine optimization than an expensive domain name.
Hosting
Your website lives somewhere. As in, it’s a bunch of 1s and 0s on a computer (fortunately, that’s translated into something more beautiful for human eyes).
Anyway, if you’re reading this, don’t handle that yourself. Just search for “best web hosting” to find some good options. If you can’t decide, reach out to us, and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Web Design
Every website needs a design. Even a lack of design is a design. This is a very difficult thing to do well.
Anyone with eyes can design a website, but very few people can design a good website.
Many website builders and platforms have pre-made templates, but it depends on your business to know whether or not this is something that should work for you.
Custom Web Design
If your business depends on a website or you really want to stand out, then you should think about a custom design. This sounds way more expensive than it is, but it will likely raise your budget a few thousand dollars.
Paying for this is definitely worth it in the right situation, and a total waste of money if you don’t need it. Again, if you’re not sure, reach out and we’ll give you our honest opinion.
Site Maintenance
There’s a circle of life on the internet. Websites are built, hackers find weaknesses, developers fix them, and hackers keep trying. Each time hackers find those vulnerabilities, you want to update what you have. That’s the biggest reason for site maintenance. Please, please don’t ignore it. It’s super important. But optional, I guess.
Some Major Website Platforms
Aside from writing custom code yourself, there are a ton of options for website builders serving a variety of needs.
Whether or not you pay someone to build and manage your website, you’re going to need a type of builder to have it. You can have it completely custom code, but very few people do that anymore because it’s a lot to maintain (read: expensive) and these tools do a great job.
Here are some of the big players:
- WordPress
- Squarespace
- Wix
- Shopify
- Weebly
Think about your budget, your needs, your goals, and your technical capabilities. There isn’t any best choice, but there is definitely a worst choice. You can always change, but you don’t want to have to.
Want more info on the most common options? We have a whole blog post about that choice, here.
Does Having A Website Help Your Business?
If you take one thing away from this article, we hope it’s the answer to the question: Does having a website help your business?
YES!
It’s critical to your business. Whether you exist online, offline, or both, people are going to be searching for you. If they don’t find you and your competitors are on their game, they’ll find them. You don’t want that, so just get a website.
