published: December 1st, 2008
Small Business Web Design - How to Make Your Business Appear Larger Than Life
In a world where things are never quite what they appear to be, the internet has proven to be a very mysterious place. Large and powerful corporations like Microsoft, Apple, and Google are running the show, but their websites are surprisingly easy to imitate by any freelance artist for any teeny-tiny business owner. How is this, you ask? The web is an easy place to look larger than you really are. This is especially true for businesses around the globe. It is more simple than one might think to impersonate a company that has over 10,000 employees, even if you are a “mom and pop” shop based in the middle of nowhere-Kentucky.
For example, we have an aspiring musician. We take his or her website and make it completely stunning, along with a biography narrated in the second-person writing style. We take a few high-quality photographs of the musician, and add some embedded music, and flashy website affects. This web page automatically makes this musician seem like the up and coming celebrity, even though they’ve barely just begun their career out of their small home town. If you added a contact email address directed to the musician’s “agent”, (even if they don’t have one), it makes them seem like they are even a bit harder to attain for an act. The website radiates with brilliance, all directed at the musician. Such praise and hoopla over any one person is sure to make them seem larger than they really are, if you do your research.
If you know where you are going with your professional presence, you too, can have a website that makes your business, band, artistry, or venture seem larger than life. There are five essential steps to consider before even thinking of calling up a web designer or programmer to start your significant project.
1. Research Your Competition. - I cannot stress this enough. If you are a small online store selling designer handbags and purses, you will want to do your research on the big boys of the handbag and purse business. Not sure who they are? Take a look at Google and Yahoo, and you’ll know right away who your competition is. Size them up, because this is where you want to be ten steps ahead of! Take notes for your web designer or development team.
2. Perfect Your Professional Image- If you don’t have a logo, or you don’t have one that you are happy with; now is the time to fine-tune every element of who your business is. Thinking along the lines of who your biggest competition is, decide the best direction of your professional presence. Remember, if you are going to play ball with the big boys, you must be prepared to think like them!
3. Don’t Look for the Cheapest Web Designer- Good Web Design isn’t the cheapest you can find. This will NOT help your professional image, and almost always leads to disappointment and wasted money. When it comes to professional web design, you really DO get what you pay for. Look for someone who has a unique and very intelligent outlook on the internet and what is hot in it today. Be ready and willing to spend a good amount of money to get the job done right the first time around.
4. Don’t be Intimidated- If you are look at your larger competitor’s websites and feeling the urge to cry or give-up, don’t do it! The reason most people start small businesses, is because they want to grow into larger and more prosperous entities down the line. Prepare yourself mentally, and get yourself into the mindset that you already own a large and efficient business that makes over a million dollars a year. This leads us into our final step.
5. Prepare for Growth- I have witnessed many small business owners who decide to revamp their websites to make themselves look larger and more cutting-edge. About 90% of the time, this leads to tremendous growth for their businesses. By looking larger, they essentially pave the way to actually becoming a larger business or venture. This is the most important step, because you must tie in the “What if” factors. Like, “What if we exceed our sales, will we have more product inventory readily accessible?” This step is so crucial to actually succeeding, and not just having a prettier website in vain.
Remember that actually succeeding is something that is solely up to the business owner. However, finding the right development team also is critical in this type of growth. There are also small things you can do to make your appearance seem larger. You can obtain a toll-free “800″ phone number, if you receive a large volume of calls. This usually indicates a large or quickly growing business. It is also wise to make sure that you own a “.com” domain name that indicates your business name somewhere in it. You should have an email address at this business domain such as, “sales@yourbusinessname.com” It is also wise to have a few email addresses that pertain to each issue, like sales, tech support, information, and any other relevant services that integrate into your business structure.
Terra Andersen is a veteran web designer and programmer who specializes in fresh and innovative ideas for up and coming businesses and ventures. She is the owner and lead designer/consultant at her firm, Digital Smash Media. http://www.digitalsmash1.com
A designer since the tender age of 13, she has seen the changes and evolution of the internet through the eyes of a child, a teen, and now as an adult.