When do you need a website for your business?
So, you’ve taken the leap to start your very own business (you are ahhh-mazing mama!🎉🎉) and have started daydreaming about your perfect website.
A website that makes YOUR business stand out from the rest.
You’re envious of the business owners with professional but fun websites that just scream to clients BOOK WITH ME!
Believe me, I was right there with you! Back in January of 2021 I started my very own Virtual Assistant business and like a lot of business owners, I immediately wanted to build my website … buuutt I didn’t have a clue about how I was either going to…
a) build my own website
or
b) find a designer that represented me and my business.
I also wasn’t sure when I actually needed a website.
Was it important for me to build my website as soon as possible so that my business looked more professional? or, should I wait until I have established my business and have the time and money to invest in a website that I loved?
After a little research and many days of going back and forth with my decision, I decided to build my own website!
Getting started with my website was no easy task. I didn’t know what information I even needed to get on my site, I didn’t know where or what kind of photos I needed and even more importantly I didn’t know what platform to use.
I started out with WordPress but honestly the tech just to get it set it up scared me away.
On top of that, the time it took to try and figure it out took too much of my valuable time.
At the time of starting my business, I had a three-year-old and a newly turned one-year-old. I was researching and building my business all in between trips to the park, neverending snack refills and during naptime.
Everywhere I looked I kept seeing Squarespace pop up and I also had seen it when I took my course to become a Virtual Assistant. After watching video tutorials I built my first ever website!!
I found it to be the perfect platform to host my business as a mom entrepreneur. I enjoyed the process SO much, that I decided to shift my efforts and learn everything I could to become a Squarespace Website designer.
As I started to design my website I found that my business became an extension of me - of my creativity, and my passion and it even allowed me to support my family in a way that feels genuine.
In talking to other moms I realized that a lot of times, we are not sure when a website should be on the forefront of our minds. What I’ve found is that there is no one right time to build your website but there are a few themes I’ve noticed that can be clues as to when it is the time to invest in your website.
You want your business to look and feel more professional
Have you ever been in a Facebook group and talked to someone who sounded like the perfect fit for what you’re looking for? You go to find out more about them, so you head over to their profile and there’s not a thing on there about their business or their services.
There’s a lot to be said when it comes to being organized and displaying your business in a professional manner.
When shopping around to find the best option, one of the first things a potential client is going to do is head over to Google, and type in your business name in search of a website.
Having a website shows your client that you are serious and professional. It builds trust to see that you’ve taken the time to build a website that represents your business.
“Having a well-designed and thoughtfully planned website can make the difference between signing and not signing that dreamy client.”
You find yourself on repeat … sending the same information over and over and over
You started with a few different free or paid tools when you started your business and you’re finding that they're just not cutting it anymore!!
Whenever an ideal client (Whoop Whoop!!) contacts you, you find yourself spending SO MUCH TIME with the back and forth of getting them the information they really need to get started working with you.
First, you send your portfolio full of amazing testimonials & past work to potential clients, then you send a separate link to have them book a consult call with you, and finally, send your invoice and contract over.
Having one centralized location allows prospective dream clients to find out more about you and book a consult call all in one easy place and let’s face it as moms we need things to be easy.
All you have to do once your website is up and running is to send the URL off and all your careful planning will do the heavy lifting.
Imagine having the ability to focus your efforts on your current client work, marketing your business and booking new clients effortlessly instead of spending all your precious time sending information back and forth.
You have a couple of different services or products
Being a service-based entrepreneur means that most likely you have a few different offerings.
Let’s say for example you are a Virtual Assistant. You have three different packages and want clients to know exactly what to expect from you with each package.
Having them displayed on your website saves you not only time because you have already done the work to strategically represent your services but you have one place to send your clients to see what's included in your packages, the investment expected, and read some fabulous testimonials that that brag at how amazing you are to work with.
You want to market yourself outside of Social Media
We all spend waaayyy too much time scrolling on social media. Whether it be scrolling through Facebook or watching Insta stories, social media is a great way to promote yourself and your brand.
A drawback to relying solely on social media to represent your business is that you have to adapt to the constantly changing algorithms to make sure you are being seen. When Facebook or Instagram are done unexpectedly there goes your opportunity to connect with potential clients.
When you have your own website, you have the opportunity to create content and create an atmosphere that caters to your ideal clients.
Having a website creates the perfect situation to grow your audience and sell your services without feeling salesy.
You have the opportunity to create genuine connections and share your passion without worrying about how many times a week to post, what hashtags to use or what time of day to post. You get to create your own community, where you are in control of representing your brand in a more authentic way. Say goodbye to algorithms and figuring out whether clients should be liking or sharing your posts to be more visible.
Pro Tip: Add your website’s URL to all your Social Media channels to easily redirect your ideal client back to your website
You want to start a blog
If you’re anything like me, you love a good blog post or youtube video. I’m the type that will turn to google anytime I need to learn something new or need information asap.
When I wanted to learn how to cuts my boy's hair at home off to Google I went and found a YouTube tutorial by someone I already followed.
When I wanted to learn how to start my own business I devoured blog posts that taught me what I needed to know to get started.
Oftentimes finding a good blogger who gives me A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and free content leads me to purchase their product or services or refer them to a friend.
Having a blog is a great way for your audience to get to know you and bonus it’s a free way to market yourself and the super awesome knowledge that you have that can greatly benefit your ideal client.
Ask yourself “Am I ready for a website?”
My biggest takeaway would be that you need to have a reason to start a website.
Let me get real honest for a moment here, having a website for the sole reason of having a website is not a good enough reason to invest either your time or money into a website.
Not only will you struggle to know what content to put on your website, but you will also waste valuable resources on something you might not need yet.
Whether you decide to DIY your website or work with a designer, a website is an enormous amount of resources!
You need to ask yourself, is this something I am ready and want to invest in?
Working with an amazing designer who genuinely cares about creating a phenomenal website that represents you and your business costs anywhere in the range of $2,500 and $5,000 for a basic website.
What’s included in a basic website:
Home Page
About Page
Services Page
Contact Page
SEO optimization
Curious to see what it's like to work with a Squarespace designer? Take a peak into my custom two-week process!
If you DIY, think about if you are ready to dedicate the time and effort to learn how to design a website, what content needs to be added and how to connect all the different bits and pieces from email marketing software to scheduling tools.
Also, if what you’re doing is working… wait.
When you’re ready for a website you will…
know exactly what you want your website to do for you
know your ideal client like the back of your hand
be excited to promote your offers & simplify your client process
be ready to take the leap and invest in your website
have the time to either design your own website or hire a designer
Happy Designing friends!!
