So the business that I’m currently starting up is a service based one – a website and marketing agency for small businesses.
My site is not an e-commerce site but it will be my number one sales tool.
If you’re starting up a service based business (eg. a consultancy or one person operation) think of your website as your sales rep, not a business card.
Websites Should Be Active – Actively bringing you leads/enquiries/sales
Websites are active and interactive. Business cards are not. Websites can send through the details of a potential customer, complete with their requirements, straight to your inbox. Business cards cannot.
The potential customer enquiries that you can gain from the Internet through a professionally designed and thoughtfully constructed website is worth the investment. You probably won’t need a huge website with complex functionality but you will need to create a website that gives your visitors what they want/need and meets your business goals.
Service Website Essentials
Here’s some points to think about when developing your website (or talking to your website designer)
- Decide what you want your visitors to do when they reach your website (these become your call to actions – e.g. complete an enquiry form and send it, download a “how to guide” etc).
- The website absolutely needs to be search engine optimised so that people who are searching for what you’ve got will find you.
- Your website needs to be attractive and offer your visitors clear, concise, useful information for them to click through, not click back.
- Give your visitors clear call to actions to direct them to what’s next. I.e. “Make an Enquiry” or “Request a Quote”
- Think of what your customers would expect to see on your website, think of the questions they may have and make sure you answer them.
I've been working online since 2001, started my 
