Increase profits - Again, by building traffic and improving customer satisfaction, your sales will increase and you will see more repeat customers.

Protect your computer and your business - By filtering and deleting all spam and dealing with suspicious email before it reaches your in-box, you can prevent viruses and other malicious content from being downloaded to your computer which will save you time and money. Read more about this at Mail Washer Pro

Allow you to run your business from virtually anywhere - Wouldn’t it be nice to take that much needed vacation yet still be able to run your business? If you are like many business owners, it seems that every time you go out of town for an extended weekend or vacation, your business has some sort of meltdown.

Though most times they are minor problems that can be fixed fairly quickly once you get home, they still cost you time and quite possible customers, both of which equal money. By automating much of your business, you will decrease amount of problems while allowing you to fix any others even if you are in Cancun or Paris! Now that has to give you some peace of mind.

With all of these benefits, why wait another minute to find out how you can start to improve your business and gain much needed time?

The Do’s

Do have a marketing budget for your website. Launching a website without a marketing plan usually always results in a zero return-on-investment. Why? Because there are millions of sites on internet, and if you don’t market your site, no one will come. Unlike a typical brick-and-mortar establishment that benefits from exposure to passersby, your website will not be seen by anyone until you tell people that it exists. Take advantage of fact that your website can reach more potential customers than a small storefront ever could. Set aside marketing funds at onset of your project.

Do prepare a timeline for project. Many developers work virtually, that is, directly through internet such that you may never meet them in person. This style of work is very different than conventional, and lack of face-to-face contact makes it easy for both parties to simply forget about project as time goes on. Ensure that your project won’t stagnate. Prepare a solid timeline with clear milestones, expectations, and deadlines so that it is easy for both you and developer to stay on target.

Do provide feedback in a timely and detailed manner. Although you are paying a design firm for its creativity, remember that ultimately what you say goes. You must be sensitive of fact that development is a step-by-step, layer-by-layer process. If you don’t respond with feedback immediately, developers will have already completed other layers of site before your feedback reaches them. This means that they must not only re-work layer in question, but also following layers. Some developers have been “burned” so many times in this manner that they will wait patiently for your feedback before they go on to next layer of work. This means that development comes to a screeching halt until they hear back from you. They may get so fed up that they take on another client while they wait, leaving you at 2nd priority.

Do research developers before setting a budget. There are two reasons to do your homework before you decide on a budget. First, setting a budget without understanding a particular industry is simply nonsensical. You must know price ranges of development and also what type of service to expect within each range. Second, a small business website, unlike a typical personal expense, is an investment. The goal of launching site should be to aid company in making more money. If site won’t make money, don’t create it! If you limit your budget at $1000 without understanding investment or industry, you may get an excellent site in that price range that makes no money. You would be better off if you do your homework, however, and find that spending more will likely yield a return. For example, you might spend $4000 on a site that actually makes you and additional $20,000 annually.

Do plan to keep your site up-to-date. One of biggest advantages to having a website is that you can quickly and easily update information. Nothing sends a more powerful message to a potential customer than a website that hasn’t been updated for several months, or even years! You are telling people that business is defunct or unpopular. Make it a point to update your site frequently, even if you don’t have much to say. It will let your customers know that things are going well and that your company takes an active interest in keeping them informed.

Although above Dos and Don’ts are definitely not comprehensive, they are a good set of guiding principles for any individual or small business owner looking to create an online presence. No set of rules if foolproof, however, and there are always exceptions. My suggestion would be to always err on side of caution. Many of cliché statements we’ve all heard will come in handy: there is no such thing as a free lunch, and, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions to people who know more than you. In fact, feel free to contact me if you ever get into a jam: adil@steezo.com. Good luck!