[audio:http://s3.amazonaws.com/audio-wb/wb-day2.mp3|titles=Keep it Simple – Website Blueprint]
Getting your small business online is easy. You only need time (to do it all yourself) or money (to pay someone to do it all for you). Of course, it’s my job to help you minimize both. The hard part for business owners starting this venture is keeping both the process and the final product as simple as possible.
In regard to the process, you want to keep it simple so you don’t add more stress onto the project than necessary. Whether you’re creating your first site or you want to redo your first generation site, it’s best that you take the process in phases rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. Take your time and get the basic elements of your website online, then start adding the extras. It’s much like a new home – there’s not much reason to spend time picking out area rugs, before they first put down the floor.
Keeping it simple also refers to the design and layout of your website. This is surprisingly difficult because it’s our tendency to want to put more online than is necessary. When it comes to design and layout, always think simple, clean, and inviting.
A website with a clean design, simple navigation, and ease of use is what will provide you the safest solution to your web building dilemma. Your end goal is to have an online presence that is both professional and effective.
If being simple was so easy, everyone would do it. It’s difficult when you want to tell visitors and prospects all about your business. Resist! You just want to provide enough content to move your visitor to the next phase of the sales funnel – calling, visiting, or signing up.
See, we’ve got issues. We want to pile up too much stuff on our websites. We want to explain too much. We want to show too much. We want to wow too much.
Another reason “keeping it simple” is so important is because you’re lucky if someone spends a minute or two on your website. That’s it. They’ve come to get the information they were wondering about, and move on. Keeping it simple gives you the best opportunity to move the visitor closer to becoming a customer.
There isn’t any decision you’ll make in all facets of your small business online presence where remembering the phrase, “keep it simple” won’t serve you well.
Build Your Business!
Gregory Murray
Website Blueprint Architect
