Three steps for building a successful website quickly

3/15/2011

The way entrepreneurs have connected with each other and their clients has changed tremendously over the past two decades, thanks primarily to the proliferation of the internet. More than 200 million Americans have access to the web, according to statistics from comScore, and many of them use the internet as a shopping tool, helping them to find new companies and product reviews.

Of course, if an entrepreneur is starting a new company, leveraging the internet is paramount to success. It's no longer good enough for modern companies to simply own and operate websites, they need to have a presence on the web, engaging prospective customers as they are shopping.

However, as Inc. magazine recently suggested, the best way to approach developing this presence is by starting simple.

"Most start-ups cannot afford the luxuries of ordering a custom website build-out or paying a retainer to an online marketing agency," writes Scott Gerber for Inc. magazine. "I'd even venture to say that the thought of building a website is off-putting for most would-be business owners. However, fear not my aspiring entrepreneurs, you don't need big money to look like a big company. "

1. Find website service providers to launch quickly

While the economy is on the mend, funds are still difficult to come by. Rather than taking out commercial loans to pay for expensive programmers, the source suggests using website service providers to create a website that is both cost-efficient and easy to maintain.
"For a few dollars a month, you can in minutes have a professional-looking, fully functional website up and running without any programming skills. If you can drag, drop, type and upload, you too can launch a website," notes Gerber.

Entrepreneurs should consider checking out service providers such as Weebly or Yola.

2. Utilize applications when possible

Developing proprietary technology is always ideal, however, when it comes to launching a startup on a tight budget, often that's simply not possible. Fortunately, there are third-party features and services that website owners can use to alleviate this concern. For example, instead of developing a specific payment processor, small business owners should consider using Paypal. This will help conserve funds for more pressing items.


"Bottom line: don't be so quick to plan out and build custom website features and applications," explains Gerber. "In today's world there is an inexpensive app - or subscription-based service provider - for almost every online business need."

3. Optimize for search engines

When developing a web presence, it's absolutely crucial that companies optimize their sites for search engines. In February alone, Americans conducted more than 16 billion queries, according to comScore. This makes search engines some of the leading traffic generators on the internet. By using services such as Web.com or Wpromote.com, business owners can quickly and effectively get their websites to the top of Google, Bing and Yahoo, the three major search engines.

"Don't forget to tattoo your URL on everything," Gerber also suggests. "Online videos, business cards, e-mail signatures, guest blogs, online directories - anything and everything should list both call to action messaging and your domain name."

With consumers beginning to spend more money, many small business owners are similarly looking to increase their marketing expenditures to capture more sales. A website should act as a backbone for these initiatives, so having a well-designed homepage is crucial to the success of these advertising campaigns.