BUILD A FREE WEBSITE FOR YOUR BUSINESS USING YOLA
Building a website isn't easy, but it can be an extremely important tool for your small business. Having a presence on the web will draw new people to your business and help them learn more about what you do. ACCION USA has partnered with Yola.com to offer small businesses the opportunity to build high-quality websites for free.
DO I NEED A WEBSITE FOR MY BUSINESS?
If you own a home-based business, or if you would like to expand your customer base beyond your immediate geographic area, a website could help to build your business.
Even if you don't know anything about computers, Yola makes it easy and fun to create your own website using a wide variety of different templates:
HOW DOES YOLA WORK?
Using Yola's easy-to-use tools, you can create a professional website that is easy to maintain and, best of all, free of charge!
With 3 simple steps you can create your own website for FREE!
1. Click on the button below and create a free account at Yola
2. Start building your website with Yola's easy to use tools, adding pictures, text, and keywords that will draw customers to the site.
3. Publish your site and begin marketing your business online.
Some Tips for Building Your Website
Step 1: What is this website for?
The first step to any website is to know what the prime usage of what the website is for. Just like a business has a business plan, you need to come with a scope of your website. Write down who and what the website is for. Below are some types:
1. General business information/Portfolio
2. E-Commerce
3. Blogs/Article-based
4. Database/info searching
5. Forums
Like business, you can envision what you want the website to do for you in the long-run. If you are just starting out, making a web presence with what business you provide and business contact information will make you stand out than your competitors. In this case, "general information" is fine. Nothing fancy yet. After getting some traffic, you may choose to sell your services or products online, making a second source of business if you have a storefront.
Step 2: Think of the website design
Even if you might have a company with great products, mission and policy, if that is not communicated to the web user, your website is a fail. That is to say, however, a fancy schmancy website with cursors flying and blazing music are not the ways to go. The key to a successful web experience is the ones that provide great UX, or user experience. Ease of navigation and readability of contents are among the two most important keys.
Just imagine yourself walking through a supermarket: would you choose a store with very organized rows of shelves and identifiable items or a store with everything all over the place with an inaccessible floor. It doesn't matter whether its bigger corporations or small businesses, or whether it is stylish or simple. The best websites are the ones you can browse in and breeze, "guided" to easily access the information of choice.
Website design can very well determine the value and brand of your company.
Step 3: Coming up with the website design
As I have stressed on the last step, website is not all about how pretty it looks but how useful it is. But how do you come up with an actual design?
1. Hire a web designer
2. Use a pre-made, buildable website service
3. Do it yourself
Unless you are fluent in HTML, XHTML, CSS, PHP or CMS platform, it's best advised that you not to touch number 3. Even more so if these words look like jargons to you. At most startups, every minute and penny need to be used wisely. It will be very time consuming to master the languages, design, launch, and manage everything by you. Everything that takes a huge chunk of time that does not generate you income will lag and hurt your new business. Outsourcing the talent, especially if you don't have one in-house, may save great time and pull up your branding value.
If you are fairly comfortable with designing behind the scenes, then a pre-made, buildable website service may be the way to go. However, note that when your company grows and changes, so does your website to fit the brand. After the launch, you also have to be aware how to manage and troubleshoot when problem arises. Especially if you are in a small team, it will be something extra on your plate for you to worry about unless you hire or allocate the responsibility of a webmaster to your teammates.
Costs can vary depending on your choice. Even if you do everything yourself, you must pay some fee to get a domain (a host) for your website. There are free build-up services but usually comes with advertisements and restricted designs. Hiring a web designer can ultimately solve all your worries, at least until the launch. There is also a hefty price tag of hiring a professional web designer that can go up to $1500 or more. If you're handing the entire web design job to the designer, make sure to find someone you can trust. You may also find referrals from
1. From someone know had a business website professionally done
2. Local business organization or businesses
If you do choose to hire a professional web designer, come prepared with what you want to include or what your website looks like. Same applies when you are doing it all yourself. A sketch will do. Even pulling websites of competitors or some neat web designs can be great references for the designer. Remember that web designer designs websites for a living.
To provide you the best service, hiring a professional designer also entails working cooperatively and respecting their design decisions. Read their contracts carefully and honor their rules and payment procedures. Each designer has their own pricing and services (ex. Refinements. Remember, each change you request may add more cost depending on the designer). Remember, they are your business partners. They are not your little minions and will not pick up your call on a Saturday night.
As you can see, your website is not merely just a page in your screen. It is a huge investment for the company. Unlike a storefront, with a good design, server, SEO and SEM, potential clients can come and go, learning about your company and products 24/7.