America’s SBDC Blog

A “Forbes 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs”

Plan Your Business Website in 3 Easy Steps

By Adam Wozney
Wix.com | @AdamDeanWozney

SBDC Top of Post50 percent of small businesses do not have a website according to a recent blog post by SBA.gov. What does this mean to you as a small business owner? It means that having an online presence for your business will give you a competitive edge. New technologies available to you like those offered by Wix make it easier than ever to have a professional looking website for little to no cost.

But where to start? Wix hosts over 88 million websites. With this enormous pool of user data and over ten years of website design expertise under our belts, we know what goes into building a stunning website.

Below are some steps on how to get started building your business’s first website.

Step 1 - Define Your Website GoalStep #1 Define your Website’s Goal

What is the point of your website? Set an objective. Defining your website’s goal will help guide you through the creation process. In our experience, the best websites have a single goal. Is the goal of your site to sell a product or service? Get more newsletter subscribers? Increase social media followers? Your goal is the core of your website. By identifying the goal from the beginning, you will be able to easily navigate the development process of your site. 

Step #2 Create a Sitemap

Step 2 - Create a SitemapA sitemap is a road-map for your website. Here is an exercise to help you get started: grab a pen and paper and begin by drawing a box at the top of the page. This box represents your home page, the first page people will see on your website. At the bottom of the page, draw another box. This box will represent your goal, or the final page that your visitors will see. Draw more boxes, with each box representing the different pages that will be featured on the site, and then draw arrows that link each box. If it takes more than a few arrows to reach your goal, start thinking creatively about how visitors will reach your website’s goal, quickly. Your objective here is to limit roadblocks to your website’s goal.

Step 3 - Gather ContentStep #3 Gather Content

What types of images do you want to showcase? What is the color scheme? What font should you use? All of these questions need to be answered before you start building your website. So, again, where to start? Take notes, find pictures, download images and store all of this information either online or printed out and kept in a file folder. Once you are ready to start building your business’s website, pull out all this information and start connecting the dots.

Quick tip: limit your site to two font choices. This will limit visual confusion and will make your website more engaging.

While these three tips are a terrific starting point, there are many other things to consider when building your business’s first website. Check out WixEd.com a free resource and training center for website building and small business management.

Let’s Chat

In the past year Wix has worked closely with New York’s SBDC network to provide small businesses and SBDC advisors the tools and training needed to help local businesses grow. Through workshops and training sessions, NY SBDCs are being equipped with the latest technology and resources to make them excel. Building on the strong momentum, Wix is currently creating a sophisticated support network for SBDC advisors and the SMBs they serve.

You can learn about the above and more at the 36th annual America’s SDBC conference this September 23 in Orlando, Florida. RSVP for Wix’s presentation here.

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