Why you should launch your small biz website WITHOUT blogs, video libraries or podcasts.
Less is more.
Why you should launch your small business website WITHOUT blogs, video libraries or podcasts.
What if I told you that less is best when it comes to building & launching a small business website? Get ready to have your website misconceptions turned on their head.
Content is King - that’s one of the biggest mantras flying around the marketing space right now (and chances are, you’ve seen it in one of your late night Googling sessions). Once you decide it’s time to prioritise your marketing for your small business, you’re sure to quickly be overwhelmed by ALL. THE. THINGS. the experts are recommending:
Get your website up and running
Blog regularly
Do a podcast
Do Facebook Lives
Create video content
So you set off, working with a website designer, compiling all your content, setting aside pages for your blogs, videos or podcast. You compile pages and pages of business content, you have your blog set up and ready to go, and then FINALLY your website goes live.
Except, by the time your website is open for business, you’re so worn out and drained that you have no energy left to create content regularly, and your dreams of a consistent blog, video library or podcast are an exhausted heap in the corner.
And do you know what’s worse? You have a big, blank page titled “blog” on your website that promises value but delivers none, making your website seem forgotten and unused. And don’t get me started on the tech headache of wondering how you update your website once you find the energy to get going again.
What if I told you it didn’t have to be this way?
It seems a bit counter-intuitive for a small business marketer to be recommending this - but what if I told you your website DOES NOT NEED any big promises of content to get going? What if I told you it could be JUST. ONE. PAGE?
If you have a website you can easily jump in and drive when you need to, you only need the bare essentials to be well-presented in order to get your website up and running.
The best way to build and launch your small business website
I’m going to walk you through my method for the most effective small business website strategy. Developed after designing & launching tonnes of small business websites, this approach is what I recommend in 99% of cases.
This is for SBOs who need a website that is:
Professionally designed, grabbing the attention of their target market
Is live as efficiently as possible
Is built on a platform that is highly user-friendly, so they can grab the baton and run with it by creating content easily long-term
Launched without draining every inch of their energy, so they have nothing but love for their website once it’s done.
Step# 1: The Message
Before any pixels start moving on screens, you need to have a very clear idea about 3 core areas of your small business brand:
Who are you? What does your business stand for? What are your values? What is your style?
Who are your Ideal Customers? These are the people most likely to do business with you.
What makes you unique? Why should potential customers choose you?
Having detailed answers to these questions is important because it will effect the images and wording used on your website. Together, the text & visual content allows you to connect with those most likely to become your customers.
Let me show you an example from my client websites:
This is La Bionda Eatery - a fantastic combination service offering in Winston Hills, NSW. They wanted to be known for their homey, cosy atmosphere and a style of service that feels like you’re visiting family, who happen to be amazing cooks! Their ideal customers are those who want a relaxed experience with heart & warmth. So with that in mind, I chose visuals and wording that created this feeling upon entering their website.
The little things matter too - rather than a button that says “book now” or “call for a booking”, the button here instead says “come join us”. It’s a subtle difference, but it all adds up to creating a taste of what your business “feels” like.
Step #2: The Content Outline
Once you have the look + feel + underlying message determined, the next step is to work out what I refer to as your MVW - Minimum Viable Website:
What is the bare minimum your website requires in order to tell potential customers exactly what they need to know so they can do business with you?
This is where you’re going to save all your stress - it’s not about creating the biggest & most complicated website before you release it into the wild. It’s about working out what the bare minimum is that’s needed to get a result.
Think about it in terms of content sections, things like:
About Us
Location
Menus, Services, Products, etc. (not including ecommerce for online stores)
What’s on - events & specials
Contact Us
Fees, pricing, packages, inclusions & benefits
Once you have decided on the types of content your website needs, you can then map out the actual wording you require for each section - again, thinking about the bare minimum you need to communicate your message, create a connection and encourage them to do business with you.
So you can see how this relates to your business, I have a FREE DOWNLOAD FOR YOU at the end - this is the exact planner I use for my clients when we decide what their website needs to succeed. So keep reading and stay tuned!
Step #3: Build on a platform you can use comfortably & consistently
This is where a lot of SBOs come unstuck - often their websites are built on platforms that are so complex and tech-heavy that you need a degree just to update your phone number. Which then breeds a vicious cycle: you hate using your website CMS (Content Management System or simply “back end) so you avoid it for as long as possible. Then, when you log in to add content it’s been so long since you’ve used it that it’s 10x more confusing.
Again - IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!
Even if you’re working with a website designer, do your research into the platform they’re using as it will be YOUR problem once it’s live.
I love & recommend Squarespace - this website is built on it, as are all my client sites! Here are a couple of reasons why you’ll love it to:
Well-designed CMS (the program that helps you add, update & change content)
Easy-to-use features
Performs well in Google search results
Links up to your social media channels for easy content sharing
Even my most tech-unsavvy clients jump in and use it regularly.
There are other options out there, so take the time to compare service providers and make sure your web designer is working on a platform where you’re happy to jump in the driver’s seat.
Step #4: Build, launch and THEN create content
By building & launching your website without a blog, your site looks polished and professional from the word GO without any blank “coming soon” pages.
You might want to create a “batch” of content before you create a blog/video library/podcast so when you do add the feature, you have a healthy amount of content straight away. Once you have your articles, recordings or videos prepared, it will simply be a matter of adding the facility to your site and uploading.
Getting in the habit of creating content batches is good, as it allows you to dedicate chunks of time to your marketing whilst looking consistently updated from the outside. Extra points if you can schedule your content to “drip out” to your website, again giving the appearance of weekly updates (another feature readily available in Squarespace).
Your website isn’t the destination, it’s only the first step.
Your website shouldn’t be this all consuming, mind-numbing project that takes 6 months and leaves you drained. In fact, it’s the complete opposite! Your website is meant to be a platform for you to communicate regularly with your customers; existing and potential.
It’s an opportunity for you to get excited about your business again as you share tips, ideas and insights with your fans. One of my clients recently launched a podcast! Creating a new page was easy to do with her Squarespace website:
Hopefully, this post gives you the tools you need to dive into your website build knowing what you need - and what you don’t - to just get started.
Oh, that freebie I mentioned? Grab yours using the link below:
