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Affordable Small Business Website Design

If you’re a small business owner, you are already keenly aware of the need for a website.  Chances are, that’s why you’re here.  Finding an affordable small business website design is your goal.  While the importance of a website in today’s digital world is obvious, finding the right person to design your website can be frustrating.  Luckily, you’ve come to the right place to get the answers you need to make an informed decision.

I design affordable small business websites for my clients using the Genesis framework on the WordPress platform.  WordPress is an industry standard software solution that powers websites and blogs for some of the most well-known brands on the web, including the Wall Street Journal, The US Marine Corps, Cornell University and Jay-Z.

Affordable Small Business Web Design That Grows With You

Using WordPress for your small business website design needs assures you of a solid platform moving forward.  You may have heard the term “content management system” or “CMS” before.  That’s exactly what you get with WordPress.  While it began as a blogging platform, it has since evolved into a fully functional, flexible and affordable small business web design solution with the ability to grow as your business grows.

You also get the peace of mind of knowing that you can change the look of your small business website without having to start over from scratch rebuilding every single page from the ground up.  With WordPress, the content of your website exists separately from the design, so adding functionality or changing your site’s visual appearance couldn’t be easier.  You may not fully appreciate or understand what that means now, but trust me…one of these days, you most certainly will!

If you’re like most small business owners, affordability is of the utmost importance.  Small budgets are a small business reality.  When it comes to small business website design, you don’t have to choose between cost and performance.  A website can be search engine friendly, user-friendly, attractive AND affordable.

Make no mistake, there’s a big difference between a cheap website and an affordable small business website.  Don’t underestimate the importance of understanding the distinction between wasting money and investing in the future of your small business.  I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials and heard the “For only $5 a month…” radio spots.  If you fell victim to the corporate marketing-ease, you’re not alone.

Fancy, misleading marketing campaigns have convinced many small business owners that giving up one trip a month to Starbucks is all the investment required to conquer the world of Internet marketing.  Sadly, that’s just not true.  And here’s the bottom line:  if you’re only willing to spend $5 a month for a website, you’re going to end up with a pitiful website that no one can find.

A successful small business website requires an investment of more than a measly $60 a year.  Make an informed decision and invest your marketing dollars wisely.

What Do My Clients Say?

After you created our web design and it was time to start filling out the content I was fully expecting to get an e-mail from you asking something along the lines of, “So, what do you want your website to say?” I can’t tell you what a relief it was when “POOF!”, there it was – 1) without me having to write anything; and 2) beautifully written. Seriously…I had no idea that level of service was included in your package. So, if your other potential customers are anything like me, you need to market how “stress free” the whole process can be!!!

~ Laura Hearon, Polished Wedding Planning

Read More Testimonials

WordPress Websites – Usability Meets Affordability

Affordable small business website design isn’t just about cost.  It’s about ROI – Return On Investment.  How well your website meets the needs of your target audience and what it contributes to the future success of your small business is of paramount importance.  If you’re looking to lay down a solid foundation upon which you can continue to build and develop your small business website in the future, I want to help you.

Why do you suppose so many businesses and publishers – big & small – rely on WordPress?  Perhaps it’s the huge developer community.  Perhaps it’s the platform’s reputation for innovative and ongoing development.  Perhaps it’s because of Automattic’s commitment to reliability, efficiency and quality.  Or, perhaps it’s because WordPress is:

  • Very Search Engine Friendly
  • Incredibly Flexible
  • Endlessly Customizable
  • Remarkably Easy To Use
  • Regularly Updated
  • Exceptionally Well-Supported
  • FREE!

In today’s digital world, an effective website can be the difference between success and failure.  If your marketing plan includes having your website found in search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing, step one is to make sure your site is search engine friendly.  If it isn’t, it will be buried on page 912 of the search results and none of your prospective customers will ever find you.

Your small business website also has to be user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.  It doesn’t matter how brilliantly a site performs in a keyword search if users run away screaming once they get there.  Search marketing isn’t just about ranking well and driving traffic.  It’s about driving targeted traffic to your site and then converting those visitors once they arrive.

Don’t Get Sucker Punched By A Website Designer

Don’t spend $10,000 for a beautiful all-FLASH website built by someone who doesn’t know jack about search engine optimization.  Here’s a hint: FLASH is BAD for SEO!  If you choose a designer that doesn’t already know that, you’re in for a rude and expensive awakening down the road.

I wish I had a fraction of the money that has been wasted on beautiful small business websites that will never be found in a search.  It’s the digital equivalent of building a mansion at the bottom of the ocean.  It’s sad.  It’s frustrating.  And I don’t want that to happen to you.  The good news?  If you do your homework, it doesn’t have to.

Some small business owners are taken advantage of by website designers who claim to know SEO when they don’t.  Others are simply victims of ignorance – both their own and that of their designers.  Either way, finding out the truth after having spent thousands on small business web design is a sucker punch to the proverbial gut. Don’ t let it happen to you.  And don’t let it jeopardize the success of your small business.

Basic Small Business Web Design Package Example

Here’s what you get:
  • One Year Domain Registration (if you don’t have a domain registered already)
  • 12 months of shared hosting with unlimited storage, bandwidth & data transfer
  • Unlimited e-mail addresses
  • A dedicated MySQL database
  • Installation and set up of WordPress core software
  • Installation of a variety of plugins to improve usability, SEO, social interaction, website functionality & security
  • Ongoing WordPress maintenance for 12 months – includes updates to the core WordPress software with every new version release and regular plugin updates as new versions are released (NOTE:  “maintenance” does NOT include ongoing changes to the site’s design/appearance and such change requests will be quoted & billed separately)
  • A premium WordPress theme built on the Genesis framework and up to 20 hours of design customization
  • Keyword research to identify the target terms in your niche that have the highest search volume
  • Creation of 5-7 pages incorporating on-site SEO best practices, including:
    • Optimized text content targeting at least 2-3 of your niche’s highest volume search terms
    • A “Contact” page with a custom form
    • Properly developed internal link structure using target terms as anchor text
    • Incorporation of up to 20 stock images or client-provided images
    • An interactive Google Map (applicable only to local businesses with physical locations…for obvious reasons)
  • Optional set up of a blog and RSS feed
  • Weekly & monthly website backups using BackupBuddy (the same backup solution employed on my own network of sites and, in my opinion, the best backup, restoration & migration plugin available – $75 value included with all full-service WordPress design projects)
  • Creation of a Google account and set up of several Google services, including:
    • Google Webmaster Tools
    • Google Analytics
    • A Google Places page (local businesses only…again, for obvious reasons)
    • Google’s FeedBurner service (only for sites incorporating a blog)

Would you prefer to set up your own hosting account? Feel free. I recommend HostGator – affordable, great service, reliable and feature-rich. You can’t ask for more from a host. Yes, Virginia…that IS an affiliate link, but recommending an unreliable host would make me look like quite the fool, wouldn’t it? I obviously trust HostGator. And you can, too.

Your Small Business Website – Investment vs. Expense

Running a small business requires investment. To be successful you’re going to invest a significant amount of money and an immeasurable amount of blood, sweat, tears, passion, time and soul. In today’s technology-based world, 99% of small businesses would benefit from having a website. You’re most likely among them.

Properly executed, a small business website is an investment capable of paying for itself many times over throughout the life of your business.

You’ve read this far for a reason. You know your small business needs a website. What you don’t know is how best to go about making that happen. I can help. My goal is to provide you with affordable small business website design services that will give you a functional, usable and aesthetically pleasing online hub for your small business that will grow with you for many years to come.

No cookie cutter pricing here. Every small business is unique.

Contact me today
to get a custom quote based your small business needs!

You won’t find a better small business website design value than SEOAly. If you do, I’ll eat my shoe. Okay, I won’t really eat my shoe. But if you do find a comparable service at a better price, you should jump on it – just make sure you’re comparing apples to apples and not apples to…well, crap.

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