When you run a business, you need to invest in a website. Once you have the site, you need to invest even more to maintain it and make it effective. And, you can’t get away from it because a website is integral to your success. As the world is dependent on the Internet, more and more people use it to shop. Companies that don’t take advantage of this market will fall behind the ones that do – your rivals.
What you now have to figure out is your next step. Obviously, you need a site, yet you can’t afford one. So, what are you supposed to do? The answer is simple – your build and maintain your site on a budget. Although the word budget doesn’t inspire quality, it is the only way. Plus, you can make quality changes without splashing the cash. Below, you will find a handful of the best ways to achieve your goal.
Use Free Web Design Sites
A web design ‘expert’ will tell you that you need to pay a web host if you want a decent site. Okay, there may be some truth to that, but it isn’t the whole truth. The whole truth is that you can build a site without any professional help whatsoever. Thanks to companies like WordPress, you don’t have to pay a penny. They give you enough free themes and genres for you to build an effective site that will make money. There is also the option to pay more for better features. Usually, this isn’t a good idea. Without WordPress, it is because the cost is minimal.
Hire Affordable Designers To Put It Together
The problem with designing your site alone is that you lack the credentials to make it happen. After all, you’re a businessperson, not a designer. You are more comfortable sat behind a desk delegating work and trying to cut the firm’s expenses. If that is your strong suit, play to your strengths. Instead of trying your luck, you should hire a web design company that will hit your targets at a reasonable price. Remember that you shouldn’t compromise on quality because that makes the process pointless. What you are looking for is a firm that is underrated for whatever reason. Underrated firms are a lot cheaper than their reputable cousins.
Get On Social Media
A good site isn’t complete without self-promotion. Please don’t be afraid to promote your site because no one will find it otherwise. A good site is one that gets lots of traffic, and social media platforms are essential for directing traffic. The reason they are so good is that they are free and popular. Your site has the potential to reach millions of people within a matter of minutes. What other marketing technique has that kind of power? If you don’t already, create Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts to spread the word to your followers.
Exploit SEO
Social media is just one part of the bigger picture – search engine optimization. SEO is the tactic that you will need to use to boost your site’s appeal, and it is free. You already have your SM accounts, and now you need quality links. The trick is to add links to your site that raises the value of your site. For example, a food site might link to a post about Michelin Star food. Also, remember to link to brand sites as they are more reputable. Next, focus on your content. The algorithm that search engines use ranks sites off their content. If it is a rehash and doesn’t add value, it goes to the bottom of the list. If it is original and keeps the viewers coming back, it goes to the top. They are a few of the basic. For more, click here.
Incorporate Video
Plenty of websites think that content is the king, yet it isn’t because videos are taking over. Videos are an amazing way to boost your site because they are relatable. Viewers can look at a video and take more from it than they could a piece of text. And, they provide people with more information. It takes a lot of words to give an explanation, but it only takes thirty seconds on video. Video also links with SEO because of the YouTube option. YouTube is a Google platform, and it ranks higher than any other video platform. Although Google denies the accusation, it wouldn’t make sense not to rank their products higher. After all, it is free advertising.
Repair Your Bounce Rate
First of all, what is the bounce rate? The bounce rate is how many people click onto the site and click off without making a conversion. You might get traffic, but that traffic might not stay around for long. Fortunately, there is an easy way to tell. Google Analytics is a software program that tracks your customer’s movements on your site. With the data, you can see who does what and use it to fix your bounce rate.
Increase Your Conversion Rate
A conversion can materialize in many different forms, but it has the same effect. The most obvious is a sale because it is a transaction that makes money. However, customers can also convert by registering to your site and providing valuable information. Or, they can sign up for a weekly newsletter. As long as they convert, they are making a difference to your site. To convert traffic into the above, you need to make navigating your site easier. Put tabs on every page that encourages them to ‘proceed to checkout’, for example. You can also shorten the fields they have to fill in when they register.
Offer Incentives
Customers respond to incentives. Everyone responds to incentives when you stop and think because they give you something you want. So, what do you have that they want? A typical example is a price cut on a range of products to encourage them to make a purchase. The money you cut is offset by the money you make from the stunt.
