In this business marketing 101 series, I have talked so far about the importance of a resume and a portfolio. In this blog I am going to be talking about the need for a website. Virtually every home business should have a website.
A website is a great way to market your business. The first reason is that you can potentially reach millions of people. Of course, you might not have that kind of goal in mind but the point is that you can reach many more people through this means than you can in any other way.
Another reason is that it makes your home business look more professional. It shows that you take your work seriously and you believe in what you are doing.
You also enable your business to grow when you allow features such as online ordering, previewing of products or the ability to easily contact you. The more information you can provide to potential clients, the better. With a website you can offer a host of ways to serve your customers.
My only experience in creating a website is my own, as a freelance writer. I chose to use Word Press because I wanted to incorporate the ability to blog as well. The type of website you choose will be dependent on your home business.
Websites can be purchased or you can create a free one. If you really don’t have the time or the creativity to create your own, there are website developers who can do this for a reasonable price. Depending on your needs, you may keep that person on to maintain and update your website.
However the majority of people can easily create their own website. Many of the programs out there make it pretty simple and give you step-by-step instructions.
What you put on your website is all up to you. My “home page” consists of my blog that I update every week, along with links to other pages. One of the links goes to my “About Me” page where I share a description of my work as a writer and a short sentence about my family.
Another link is “Contact Me” which allows people to send me an email. It is very important that you have contact information. It is up to you whether you include your phone number and address as well.
I also have a link where a person can sign up for an email subscription to my weekly blog that I write. This weekly blog is basically about helping others to live out and fulfill their dream. I have also included what is called a “Blog Roll,” which includes links to some of my other favorite writers. Depending on your business you might not want to promote someone else’s work but in the area of writing, this is usually okay.
Finally, I have links to my work. People will find my work here on Families, as well as other sites that I write for.
Hopefully this gives you an idea of what you can include on your website. But don’t forget to utilize other helpful tools such as allowing comments, including pictures and other multimedia resources.
Happy website creating!
Related Articles:
Business Marketing 101: Your Resume
Business Marketing 101: Creating a Portfolio