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Six reasons to have your own website

Why you need a website

Setting up a website is one of the best things you can do for your business. It can grow it from an exciting idea into much more, so that all your hard work pays off. One of the great things about having a website is that it’s largely up to you what you want from it; you can choose to have as much or as little content and functionality as your business needs. However, when you’ve already got several things to think about, there is such a thing as too much choice! To make your life a little easier as you embark on the adventure of growing your business, we’ve narrowed down the six main things you can be sure to get from a website:

1. Legitimacy

A website is vital for your business’s professional image. While social media is an important tool, today’s customers expect a stronger web presence than this alone. In this data, only 16.8% of online shopping traffic came from social media – less than direct navigation, search or email. A professional online presence is often key to a business’s success. This online presence doesn’t just include a good website, but also features such as domain names, email addresses and more.

2. Simplicity

There are many different ways to create a website, from paying a web designer to using a free online platform. However, a lack of direct input or technical experience can mean that the result isn’t quite what you envisaged. Not only this, it can still leave you short on money, time or both. Whatever route you go down, it’s important to have a website you can easily manage and maintain. Small businesses are constantly growing and changing, so being able to update your website – without the technical experience of a web designer or developer – can (and should!) be an important part of your business strategy.

3. Discoverability (SEO)

Most of us know the importance of getting a website ranked in search results, but many people are reluctant to pay the (often hefty) charges for search advertising. A simple, mobile-friendly sitebuilder can play a huge part in SEO success by allowing you to add content regularly. This is often one of the key factors in driving up a website’s search ranking, so the right people will find you.

4. E-Commerce

A good online store will boost sales and contribute to the smooth running of a business. The time constraints of running a small business mean that an all-in-one platform can really make a difference. Having something that will process payments and orders without constant management leaves you free to work on other areas of the business.

5. Mobility

We know that many business owners are single-handedly balancing a business with other personal or professional commitments. In 2017, 76% of businesses were entirely run by the owner(s). One of the perks of running your own business is that you don’t have to be tied to a desk. This means it makes sense to have a website that you can manage on the go, at any time.

6. Social media cross-functionality

As mentioned above, social media is very important for businesses, so a connection between your social media and your website is key. Displaying social media posts on your website (and vice versa) means your website will reflect the time you spend updating social media, and ensures that nobody will miss your news and updates.

Your website can be instrumental in turning prospective customers into actual customers, and keeping them engaged over time. We’ve designed Go Sitebuilder with this in mind, so that you have everything you need to grow your business, wherever you are. To try it for free today, download the Go Sitebuilder app on Google Play or the App Store, or access it through your browser here. Happy sitebuilding!

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Six things to check before publishing your website

When you create your own website, you have total creative freedom to make it entirely your own, with as many quirks and unique touches as you like. When you first get started, there are a few things you should be checking as you go along – and definitely before you take the exciting step of hitting the publish button! In this blog we’ve rounded up the top six things to check before publishing your website.

What is your website about?

This is something you should keep asking yourself throughout the process: is it obvious what your website is about? It sounds simple, but it can be all too easy to lose sight of your website’s focus when you’re looking at colours, styles, images and copy. If your website is a business website, make sure your business is front and centre, and it’s clear what it’s about.

Are you happy with the colours?

Make sure all the colours work together. If you’ve used different colours on different pages or sections, was this intentional? You can change colours as often as you like, so don’t be afraid to play around to see what works best. Think about which colours represent your business, and tie them in with any colours in your branding, if applicable.

Is all your content present and correct?

Make sure you haven’t left any of the sections you’ve added incomplete. Never underestimate the value of a double (and triple) check of spelling and grammar. Fresh eyes can work wonders; ask somebody else to check over the content if you can, or come back to it yourself after a break.

Have you got all the pages you want?

For example, if you’ve told people to contact you, have you got a dedicated contact page? Check all your links go to the right place. It’s also worth checking out a few websites you are familiar with, to see if they’ve included any key pages you might have forgotten.

Are you happy with the fonts? Is it easy to read?

Make sure your fonts look good in preview mode, and work together. Does all the text fit into the different sections so you can easily read it? Like the colours, you can change your fonts as often as you want, but it’s worth finding one you’re happy with to begin with – if you can be as consistent with any other branding as possible, it will give your website (and business) a more professional look.

Does it work on mobile?

This is very important – lots of your visitors and potential customers will be looking at your website from a mobile device, so you need to make sure all your hard work pays off on mobile devices and computers! Make sure you use the different preview modes and check that all the pages look good in any format.

Since Go Sitebuilder has been designed to reduce the amount of time and effort you need to put into these elements, many of these things will just be very quick checks. For example, our style options have been designed to work across the whole site – so any check of colours and fonts only needs to take a second! Keep checking in with the above questions about your website’s aim, content and style and you’ll soon find you’ve quickly and easily made the exact website you want and need. If you haven’t already, you can get started today: download the Go Sitebuilder app on Google Play or the App Store, or access it through your browser here.