Small business websites – is it possible to develop something at a lower cost that’s easy to maintain? It’s the perfect time to write about the challenges (and nightmares) faced by small businesses as they try to grow by using the internet. We just went through a little “challenge” of our own.
So how do you develop small business websites?
When we started Sunriver Metal Works in early 2013, we were told that we needed to have a presence on the internet in order to grow our business. We didn’t have the money to have someone develop a website for us. So we found a local company to help us create one using the Do It Yourself (or DIY) model. We thought that eventually we wanted an online store, so the company recommended WordPress. WordPress provides the platform and functionality with lots of plug-ins to enable a regular person to set up and maintain a website. And, having software knowledge helps in this process. The company established the framework and theme, which allowed basic content entry.
Responsive themes
Enter Google, who in 2015 started “penalizing” websites if their platforms weren’t built on responsive themes. Responsive means your content displays properly on all devices – desktop, phones, tablets. No direct monetary penalty – just reduced visibility in searches. This, along with shifting to WooCommerce for the shop platform, meant a redesign of our website. And, our developer told us we should plan for redesign at least once a year. Sigh…
Website Redesign – 2015
For those of you who haven’t ever maintained a website before, it’s not that easy and it’s time consuming. And, unless you make changes to it on a daily basis, you have to go through the “where did I make that change last time?????” every time you want something different. It’s at those times that it would be nice to just call and pay someone to do it. And, like it or not, the DIY-ers have lower priority than the contract clients.
Application and Plugin Compatibility
Recently, our product displays weren’t working for the “Display All Products” option. An error message would appear and the page wouldn’t display. Since we are on the “pay as you go” plan, having someone troubleshoot the issue is easier than it sounds. In this case, we are fortunate to have a friend that will help us out (for let’s say some special metal work now and then). It’s a dilemma to make all of this work when:
- you don’t use the software every day (learning curve)
- updates to some software may create issues in other software
- you don’t have an endless source of money
- you keep adding more products (more memory, more space, more queries).
No Easy Answer
There is no easy answer to developing small business websites. We could have a very static website that doesn’t require much work and isn’t “responsive” (been there, done that). Or we could try to keep up with the times in order to grow our business. This means keeping a “fresh look” and paying attention to search engine optimization practices. So far, it seems to be working. We’ve gotten more contacts from around the country because our products are popping up on a variety of search criteria. We are doing more custom work than ever before, which is really what we like to do.
So, yes. There’s a bit of whining going on here. We’re just asking for your patience as we DIY with our business and our website. It is AMAZING that we have gotten the response we have. We haven’t even scratched the surface of what we could be doing on social media and paid advertising. But then – how busy do we want to be?
Website Update – 2016
At the close of 2016, we finally find ourselves in a good place with our website. We left the website development company we started with. Their focus was not small business websites (for the DIY owner). We found an independent developer who works with small businesses. He helped us eliminate the overhead (yes – all the pretty theme stuff) to a now VERY responsive website. We have improved our bounce rate. And, we’re doing a better job with SEO. That means more customers and better bottom line. So, it is possible to achieve success – eventually.