Small Business Web Services

You have a business. You want to put it online. What do you do? You could take the same wide path trodden by countless other would-be entrepreneurs – saving money by utilizing cookie-cutter websites and other services designed to put your brand online as quickly and painlessly as possible. But as a smart business person you know: in the long run, cheap costs more.

If you really aim for success, the key is in how you differentiate your business, and make it stand out from the crowd. To do this, a little well-placed investment with affordable web professional services can be the difference between your signing more checks on the front, or on the back.

Web Development: Design and Programming

Web Design Matters
After establishing your business model, one of the most important web services for small businesses to consider is for the design for your website. Everything, from first impression to the clarity of navigation factors into the customer’s subconscious, where the purchase reflex chipmunks live.

While it’s easy to find cheap website templates, bear in mind that these exist by the thousands across the web. If your business message is “fly by night”, then by all means acquire a cookie-cutter design. These sites suit bloggers, people we can get to know over time; but businesses have to make the right impression the first time. This message should say, “The business is credible – and unique – enough to warrant our commitment and investment”.

Whether you hire a young, hungry freelance designer, or a web design company, chances are an original website by an experienced designer will make a huge difference in your traffic response. A good designer will help you recoup their fees quickly. For a genuine, performing site, figure an absolute minimum investment of $1000, and about a month. For medium businesses, these costs can range around $10,000-50,000 and beyond.

Web Programming Matters
Related small business web services include the coding needed to create a “dynamic site” for your business. Gone are the days of hanging a plain HTML shingle and waiting for the phone. With contemporary languages like Ajax, business offer interactive experiences for their customers. This might range from getting immediate feedback on forms, to speedier navigation experiences – crucial to the short attention span of those purchase chipmunks.

The expert providing internet services for your small business might simply be a Wordpress Guru; but for a more function-oriented CMS (Content Management Systems) you might look for a programmer capable of coding for the deeper CMS’s of say, Concrete5, Drupal, Joomla or Elemental Engine, to name but a few more powerful options.

These coders can also assist you in fashioning custom web applications to make your site not only dynamic, but engaging and converting. They are often masters of internet for small business.

Choose the Right Web Hosting for Your Needs
Web hosts – the servers that hold your website – can run from the dirt cheap “guy in basement” variety, to the multinational scale. When figuring the host budget, consider costs of downtime, service interruptions, scaling, reliability, and of course, customer service. With so many affordable and reliable hosts available, you can do a little customer satisfaction research, and avoid the problems associated with the “race to the bottom” route.

Your web developer might be able to recommend or resell a hosting plan for your business; you probably want a company with 24/7 available service. You’ll also want a host that can scale with increased traffic, or accommodate sudden bursts in customer activity.

Reliable Web Hosts resemble:
GoDaddy
JustHost
BlueHost
Laughing Squid
1&1

So you see, small web business can easily find affordable business hosting that won’t break their site – or bottom line.

Other Web Services for Small Businesses to Consider
These might include Web Content Development, Web E-Commerce, Search Engine Optimization, and Analytics Services, to help you understand your traffic patterns from the mountains of available data at your fingertips. Some people can do it all; but specialists are, well, special.

In a nutshell, an analytics specialist will help you understand and define your business problem; while a developer will help you to create your web solution. Partnering with the right small business web services can lead to big business returns.