Heath Muchena - Digital Economy Survival Toolkit: The Ultimate Online Hustle Guide

Having a basic web penetration strategy allows you to have an idea of what to expect and to estimate the rate of return for the resources you will invest in setting up your online presence. Most small businesses and startups do not always have access to large budgets which can be allocated to this however, it should be encouraging to know that the prices for building a decent website are fairly reasonable depending on the scope and you can get started by simply:

• Picking a unique domain name and selecting a hosting service package you can get free web hosts and portfolio sites online but its best to have your own domain name which you can personalise for your business.
• Finding a design that best fits your brand with almost an unlimited number of website designs available, you want to find one that gives your users the best experience and reflects your aesthetic.

There are several actions you would need to take in order to give your small business the edge it needs to successfully compete in an extremely competitive world. A good website should incorporate some, if not all, the elements listed below:

Captivating headlines

Every website should clearly communicate your business offering to potential customers from the start. It is therefore important to have simple but impactful headlines. Your headlines and subheadings should describe what your business does in a straightforward manner. Remember, first impressions are everything and if your content is not engaging from the get-go customers will most likely bounce off your site.

Comprehensible value propositions

Once you have briefly outlined what your business offers, the next step is to show your audiences why what you do matters. Here you should focus on showing the benefits or advantages of your products or services by explaining the main features.

Success indicators

Since the internet is inundated with sites promising consumers all kinds of benefits, it is crucial that you show why customers should choose your products or services over the competition by proving how those who have already chosen your business have benefited. This is also an opportunity to gain the trust of any potential customers.

Resources and content

Customers tend to initially visit websites with the intentions to find out more information and not necessarily to make immediate purchases, which is why most businesses are enhancing their offerings by providing potential customers valuable content relevant to their products and services.

Calls-to-action

Ultimately, the purpose of your website is to convert visitors into customers. To do this effectively, it is imperative that you include a call-to-action on your site. For maximum impact you can have one at the top of the webpage and another at the bottom. Good call-to-actions are designed to inspire an immediate response from your audiences with the most popular ones being call now" or "visit our store today". You can also use call-to-actions to generate sales leads by including a "find out more" option where website visitors would be prompted to submit some basic personal information such as email addresses in order to access more comprehensive content.

Optimising your website

Creating a compelling website which functions effectively is the next step towards cementing your companys presence online.

In order to achieve this you need to ensure that your newly created website is optimised. This allows your webpages to be easily discoverable in search engines and rank higher in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) involves adding valuable content to your site and using keywords to drive organic traffic to your website.