With the advent of the internet, the world of business has been forever changed. No longer do you need to work from a high rise in the middle of downtown in order to wine and dine with the big boys. You can establish a name for yourself in the business right from the back bedroom of your home. And the way you can do it is through your website.
Your website is the window that allows the world to know about your business. This feature should not be underestimated. There are several ways to establish a website. One of them of course is to design your own. This option will be the most cost-effective, but it also takes a lot of design skill and knowledge of currently accepted protocol and marketing trends.
Another option would be to hire someone else to design your website for you. While this may seem like an expensive upfront cost, an easy to use, informative site is a necessity. You don't want to lose customers because they have trouble navigating your website, or because they can't find the information they are looking for in their search.
Of course there is another option as well. One of the benefits of using a home based business in a box is that your business will already come equipped with a web site. A few quick clicks will personalize your site, and then you are on your way without the hassle of designing a site that is unique to your business.
When creating a website, it is important that you make it simple to use, easy to navigate and informative. The public will give your site ten seconds at best, and if they can't find what they are looking for in that time, they will click on the next site on their browser list. Don't lose customers over something as easily corrected as a web site design.
Your home page needs to be welcoming and informative. Graphics are always a nice way to catch the attention of your customers. It is also nice to have a short overview of the goods or services you offer right on the front page. The key word here is short. If your customer finds there are paragraphs of information to wade through, they will feel bogged down and look elsewhere.
Research shows that the fewer clicks required to get to the desired location on the site, the better. So, make sure your homepage includes buttons for all the different areas of your site, so your customers don't have to wade from one section to another looking for the information they require. For example, your homepage should include a button that will take your customer directly to products offered and pricing. It should also have a button that will take your customer directly to customer service, and another one for contact information. You don't want them to have to wade through products and pricing to find customer service.
A chic and easily accessible website will take your home based business to the same business heights today as an exclusive address would have in days gone by.