Why Create a Website

Is a Website Useful for a Small Business?
(2 min read)
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I give this an emphatic YES! 

A website is your business's store front. It's your personal platform and active "calling card" for the world to see what you do and why you do it. It's a space to showcase your work (think Portfolio page or Blog pages).

It's the perfect place to connect with your current and future clients, especially if you include a way to enable visitors to sign up for your newsletter! A website is owned territory, not "rented" land. Relying on social media for your marketing is dangerous as the platform holds all the cards and can cut you off at any time, for any reason. A website and newsletter list are yours forever. 

But AI - How Will I Be Found?
Well, you won't be found without a website! Searches are different these days with far less "type a question in Google" and instead "have a chat in ChatGPT." 

AI is changing the landscape quickly - 6 months makes a difference. This is an article from 6 months ago but from a known source, Forbes. People are certainly still searching, but the queries and searches are different. How we respond to questions through our websites matters. Key words and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are quickly becoming things of the past. 

Think FAQs Rather than Key Words
It's time to change how we make our websites visible in AI searches. Put yourself in your customer's shoes. Play with how you would search for something that may be answered on your website! Think more in terms of the question rather than key words. Think more like a brief response than website links that may pop up in a search. As AI users ask their questions, best practice suggests they ask AI to cite sources in the response provided. That is how you will be found - do  you answer the question on your website? Here is a rather extensive review of how to improve your content optimization for searchability. 

How Do I Get Started with a Website?
This prior blog post should help with the basic how-to when creating your website. Let's Chat if you'd like assistance or to simply kick around ideas for how you'll get started. 

Who Should Have a Website?
Anyone who owns a business, no matter the size. There are very affordable options available to create something that looks good, isn't hard to create with or update, and that you can learn to manage once it's created if you need a hand. One of my special talents is teaching clients how to update and do the work themselves if they'd like. Visit this blog post for a few website platforms I recommend for small businesses and solopreneurs. 

Let's DO This!
If you don't have a website yet and would like a hand or ideas, I'm very happy to brainstorm with you! Let's Chat using your favorite method or message me on LinkedIn. 

I am your biggest fan and cheerleader! I would love to help you get your message to your ideal customer. I specialize in serving small to medium-sized nonprofits, fellow entrepreneurs, and non-fiction authors with tools that will help you ENGAGE your customer - Let's Chat!

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