Competition on the internet is continually intensifying. Because of this most small companies do not realise that not only do they need a website but they need to be found through a good and effective online presence. It's great if you have a nice flashy website but if it can't be found in the search engines you are considerably restricting the amount of people that can find your business.

When setting up a website there are a few things you need to think about;


1) What are you trying to achieve by having a website?

So, what do you want from your website? And how are you going to achieve it? Do you want a functionally rich website to sell online, full control of your content, news, and ability to interact online, or simply a static page with your email address? Some websites are purely designed to promote your products and services and can be used as an information resource, whereas others can also look to engage your visitors and create a site that is interactive to gain their feed back. Going to the other end of the scale, you could create a site that is a full eCommerce website that gives you the ability to sell online.

Once you have decided what you want to achieve from your website, there are two more things to consider.

2) Managing your website?

Do you want to be able to manage your website yourself or do you want someone to do it all for you? When managing your website, it is much better for you to have control as it means you can update it whenever you want and keep it fresh without having to go to a designer. If you have to rely on someone else to do it you could be waiting days or even weeks for items to be added or amended. There are systems on the market that have been specifically designed for non technical users so that you can look after your own website, giving you complete control and ownership. These are called content management systems.


3) Driving traffic to your website through Search Engine Optimisation.
it is much better for you
to have control as it means you can update it whenever you want and keep it fresh without having to go to
a designer

Search Engine Optimisation is the technical term for making your website easy for the search engines to find. There are a few companies that are in the very lucky position that people will visit their website without it being listed very highly in the search engines. However, for the majority of businesses, ‘If you can't be found, you can't compete!' This is a strap line that we use in my company, and it's very true especially for small businesses that can rapidly expand their businesses if they are found in the search engine for key phrases relating to their line of work.

The way your website has been technically developed (e.g the programming) will also have a major impact. Therefore finding a good partner who is able to develop your website to make it search engine friendly should be a high priority.
There is the option of paying the search engines for paid listings like Google Adwords, however this can be very costly and not always as effective as Organic Listings. Organic listings appear on the left hand side of a search page and the more your website is search engine friendly, the higher it will rank in the search engines.

I have been a software engineer for 25 years and have been in the internet industry since it started. Technology changes extremely quickly and in my company, SEOSiteBuilder.com, we develop cutting edge technology and consistently strive to offer our clients the best solutions to make their online business really work for them. We have developed the Microsoft award winning SEO Site Builder and more recently the SEO Startup an ideal tool for small businesses looking to get set up online in the most cost effective way.

If you have any further queries and would like to talk to us please do not hesitate to call myself or any of my team on 08700 760 761.

Adam Price, www.seositebuilder.com