How to Layout Your Small Business Services Website

Are you looking to design a new website for your new small business services? This week, we will talk about areas you need to focus on when building your first small business services website.  This post is designed for first-time entrepreneurs and small businesses. If you know the foundation of building a website, feel free to visit our other website posts.

Note: This post is about the general process and will help you determine your website layout. It does not offer technical instructions on how to create a website. You will need a website designer for that. 

Are you ready to get your small business services website up and running? Let’s begin!

Gather your Business Information.

When we are a small business, our business information is most likely in various areas of our mind, computer, and files. So we need to gather all these items together and determine what we want to share on the site.

• Make sure you share on the website these items in small chunks. You don’t need to add a novel to your website. People will get overwhelmed.
• Determine your page hierarchy. Determine what pages you want to have on your website. Do you want a blog? Do you want your services all on one page or on several pages?
• Have a clear focus on what to share. You don’t need to share every single testimonial.
• Research your successful competitors and check out what they are sharing on their website. It’s OK to mimic their layout if it is working for them, it may work for you.
• Gather information for your story. Interview yourself and ask questions like, how did I become ….? Was there something in my past that directed me to this endeavor?

Now that you decided on what the business services content will be for your site. It’s time to move on to the order you want to display this material.

Outline Your Small Business Services and Create a Page or Pages for the Service.

Decide on what services you want to sell. Starting off with one or two is fine. I started off with one service and added on when my business and clientele grew.

• Ask yourself, what are the first steps I want to take to move a potential client forward in the funnel. Be precise and quick. People do not want to read a book.
• Start by designing the “About Me” page. This page will give people an intro to who you are and what you do. Check out this post for some tips: How to Write a Perfect About Me Page With Examples.
• From there, move into the various services you offer. Linking this URL to the About Me page may even work, so there is a path the potential client can take. Tell your clients (Affiliate Link) what you can do for them and what are the benefits of using your service.
• And don’t forget to mention your call to action at the end of the page. Visit our Call to Action List to give you some ideas on what wording to use.

Now, it is time to do the design and work.

Pick Your Domain Name, Purchase it, and Choose a Reliable Host and Web Design.

Be sure to pick the right hosting (Affiliate Link) company. They should have great customer service (24/7). They should have a large variety of options when it comes to storage, so you don’t have to change host companies later when your site gets larger.

To make it more convenient, pick the domain name and the hosting (Affiliate Link) services at the same place.

First, purchase your domain. You can do this through several different providers; even the host company that you purchase may have an option to buy domains. Feel free to check out Network Solutions and GoDaddy to see what domain is available. The prices are usually the same between a third party or your hosting (Affiliate Link) company. But, some may offer additional services that may or may not be interesting to you. The cost of your hosting (Affiliate Link) and themes vary, though. Below are some of the hosting (Affiliate Link) sites for reference.

Now that you found what domain (URL) you want to use, you need to find a hosting (Affiliate Link) company.

WPEngine – Affiliate

Network Solutions Hosting

GoDaddy Hosting

Decide if you want to design your own or use someone else’s theme.

Some places have hosting (Affiliate Link) and website design included in their services. You can check out these companies: GoDaddy.com and Hibu.com Prices vary for their services, and you can contact them directly for more details. They offer theme templates that you can use, modify, and set up through their site. They do have some flexibility, but you may want more.

Going with WordPress may be a better option if you want to customize your site. I particularly like the Genesis Framework (affiliate) because it is one of the most popular parent themes in the industry. They have several simple designs that you can use right out of the box.

Stay away from FREE themes. They could be coded incorrectly and may not be as secure as those you want to purchase.

Then, start entering your information and making your pages. But where do I start? We can help you there! Feel free to check out our website content services here.

You are now well on your way to getting your small business services website! I hope this helps you get your small business services website on the internet and successfully working today. Please leave a question or two at the bottom and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Visit these articles I found online for more information and guidance.

30 Tips for Building Your First Business Website

Building a Business Website

10 Key Steps To Building A Great Small Business Website