Why do you want a website?
If you already have a website then hopefully you already know why you have one (if not then I doubt that it's working well for you and maybe we should have a chat).
Why do you want a website may seem like a really dumb question. Every business needs a website right?
In general my answer would be yes but we're not thinking about generalities we're think about you (yes you).
Let's reverse the question for a moment - why wouldn't you want a website?
Time - you don't have time to update a website while you're running your business and you don't have
Money - to pay someone else to do it for you because you think that they are too
Expensive - since you think that websites are expensive you think that the expense will take away from your
Profit - your website should add to your profit rather than take away from it, it's an investment not a cost.
The biggest issue I see before anyone decides on their website comes back to your Why. Everything starts with why?
(Note: If you haven't watched the TED talk by Simon Sinek How great leaders inspire action it's well worth watching since Simon talks about starting with why and has written a book about it too https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.)
When I moved from the UK to Australia nearly 10 years people often asked me why I choose the providers I used when we moved here. The simple answer is because they were online.
I didn't have a yellow pages directory (does anyone even use them anymore?) since I was in the UK. I had no idea about local businesses and I didn't know anyone in the area. The only thing I had access to was the internet and the businesses that were online received my business.
That was 10 years ago and now it's even more important to be online since so many people are using mobile devices.
If your customers aren't online and never will be and you're sure that they aren't online (you may be surprised at how many people are online) then maybe you don't need a website.
According to ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyCatalogue/ACC2D18CC958BC7BCA2568A9001393AE?OpenDocument)
in 2014 - 2015 85% of people in Australia were internet users and in the aged group of 65 years, 51% of that aged group were online.
Do not make assumptions about your customers. If you're not sure you could always ask them.
If you really don't have the money to invest in a website (a good website is an investment and adds to your business), then think about how much extra time you have to build your own. There are DIY options available but all of them have some sort of learning curve.
Maybe you just want to go with social media such as a Facebook page or an Instagram account. Social media is fluid and what's popular one year may be surpassed by something else next year. You have no control over the trends and you have no control over the platform either.
Facebook has been annoying me recently with the amount of changes that come through without any warning. And yes I'll whinge about it but the fact is that it's a free platform and actually they can do what they want with it.
I confess that I'm a recovering control freak so I love the fact that I have more control over my own business website than I do a social media platform that I get for free.
In summary, think about why you want a website. If your business had a website (or already has one) think about what result you want that person visiting your website to take - call you, book an appointment, download information, buy something.... what result do you want from your website?
Start with the end in mind and work backwards.
My website planner will help you plan up to six plages of your website. Over two online sessions together we'll discuss your business, your requirements from you website and put together a plan for your website. You can find out more and sign up for my website planner here.