Does your business really need a website?
If you want to sell goods online the answer is fairly obvious. However, if you're just toying with the idea of selling your wares on the World Wide Web then you might consider testing the waters first by selling a few of your products on eBay. Trust me, eBay is not just for getting rid of a few unwanted items left lying around your home. eBay is widely used by many retail and wholesale businesses, and even some manufacturers, to sell goods direct to the public. Many also have their own eBay store, which is useful if you're selling a wide range of products.
Of course, having your own website is also good for business. But what if you're running a service business? Is it still worth having a website? And if so, how will it help your business?
First of all, a website is like a colour brochure, it can provide a lot of information about the services that you offer. It can also promote a professional image for your company. A lot of people are now using the internet to find a service that can help them. Whether it's for commercial or domestic reasons. A well designed website will give potential customers more confidence in dealing with your company.
Not only that, the internet is growing more and more each day as thousands more people get connected. Not only with their home PC's and laptops, but also with their mobile phones. In the near future, at least half of all mobile phones being used by consumers will be 'smartphones' with internet connectivity. And again, many will be using them to go online to find a service they need. Whether you're a plumber, a gardener, an artist, photographer or window cleaner, all service businesses will be catered for and will require some form of internet advertising if you want to stay competitive.
My prediction is that the printed version of Yellow Pages will soon become more useful as a doorstop than a book of reference.
So let's say that you do decide to have a website built and published to promote your business. What are the costs involved? Well this is a hard question to answer in just a brief article such as this. Costs can vary enormously, depending on your requirements. But for most small businesses and sole proprietors running a service business, or wishing to promote their own products, it can be as little as a hundred pounds for the design work (depending on the type of design required) up to four hundred pounds or more, for a custom website with ten pages or more. Most of the websites I design however, are usually around the hundred to two hundred pounds mark.
For example, I design custom websites for £40 per page, which means a basic 3 page site will cost around £120 for a unique design. But I also provide template based designs for just £95 With these I simply add the information and pictures to your chosen design that suits your requirements.
But are there any ongoing costs?
Yes. But again these are minimal.
Because all websites need to be accessible via the internet, each website needs to be hosted on a web server. And any good web server needs to be connected to the internet continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. Obviously, they also need security against hackers, and a back-up system in place in case of a malfunction. And again, any good web hosting company will ensure these are all set up so that they can provide the best service to their customers.
As a web designer, I also like to make sure my clients are provided with the best service possible. So I also take care of their web hosting needs. The ongoing cost of this is just £5 per month. Think of it as probably the cheapest form of quality advertising you're ever going to need.
You can find more information about the Studio Arts small business web design service at Studioarts-DTV
For more frequently asked questions about our web design service click here
