So, you've started a business selling your dream product or service, and you’re ready for the whole of this beautiful county (and the world) to see what you’re made of. But, what is the best, and simplest, way to get your business online in the cheapest way possible whilst maintaining a high level of professionalism?
Probably the easiest and most affordable way is to use a website building platform such as Wix or Shopify as they are user-friendly, great for a smaller budget and, with good quality branding and copy editing, will provide everything that your small business needs, digitally speaking.
Why Does My Cornish Business Need a Website?
According to the Cornwall Business Observatory, as of 2019, there were 234,425 VAT/PAYE businesses registered in the South West. Although this figure only includes larger businesses that are VAT registered and includes businesses from the whole of the South West area, it shows how much competition there is potentially for your business. There are also statistics out there that show how many people are influenced by a product's online presence before they buy, with 82% of smartphone users consulting their phones before purchase and 45% of buyers reading reviews online before they buy in-store.
A website can also help to strengthen your brand identity, getting people more familiar with your logo, products and your business's USPs (unique selling points). Many people these days use social media to help with all of this, but, a website will help to strengthen your position and help to encourage customers who might not use social media, such as older people or those who prefer not to. A website also allows for an easy way to sell your products, with options on all the major website-building platforms that allow for easy integration of an online shop.
How do I Prepare to Build My Site?
Once you’ve made the decision to build a website for your business it is practical to collate as much information as you can before you start. This makes the process quicker and helps to reduce costs as you will only start paying for your subscription, to a website-building platform, once you are ready to go. The first thing we would always recommend doing is to explore competitors' websites and websites that you like the feel and aesthetics of. This will get you thinking about what you might like your website to be and how it might work.
Once you have done a good amount of research we suggest breaking down your website build into four clearly defined sections;
Definition of your goals - how will your website help your business?
Design and visual content - how your website looks and feels for your customers
Branding - use of logos, colour schemes, fonts etc. that help to build brand awareness
Functionality - what do you need your website to do?
Once you have clearly defined all of this and collated everything you might need you will be ready to start putting your site together. It goes without saying really but if there is any part of this process you are unsure about or need professional help with, we at Choose Creative can help with any and all of these preparatory stages.
What is the Best Website Building Platform for Smaller Cornish Businesses?
Many of the website-building platforms available today are a breeze to use and are full of fantastic features that can help you build a website that is functional and beautiful with relative ease. When we are building sites for clients we tend to use either Wix or Shopify, this is just a preference for us and won't necessarily be the right choice for everyone.
Wix is a great way to easily build the basic blocks of a site with pre-made templates and allows us to spend more time on the aesthetics of the particular site we are building. Wix is great for building content-rich sites that show off what you and your business can do for your end user.
We use Shopify when we are in need of more complex eCommerce options as it is easier to incorporate more bespoke services such as; subscription models, larger-scale online shops and intricate shipping capabilities.
If you’re not sure which is the best for you, don't hesitate in dropping us a line.
What Should I Do If I Don't Have the Time or Expertise to Build a Website?
Call or message us at Choose Creative! We are experts in digital creativity, top-quality content and eCommerce and would love nothing better than to help your small Cornish business grow with a website that is functional, beautiful, full of intriguing content and, ultimately, helps to increase your sales or subscriptions.
The Cheapest Web Design Services in Cornwall
We pride ourselves on being able to offer budget-friendly website-building options for small businesses in Cornwall. We are confident that we can undercut your current quote, if you have one, without scrimping on quality at all. We are small business owners ourselves and are acutely aware of how financially burdensome setting up and maintaining a business can be, and, as such, we have set up our pricing structures to be affordable, negotiable and unique to each and every one of our clients. What could be better?!
