Here at ShortTech, we specialise in designing and managing websites for sole traders and small businesses. I, Jas, founder of ShortTech, am passionate about taking the pain and stress out of website design and management. As a sole trader or a small business, you want to spend your time doing what you do best and delivering top-quality customer service to your clients, we know the feeling!
Business in West Sussex and Hampshire
At ShortTech, we work with small businesses and sole traders across West Sussex and Hampshire to create AND manage everything website related for professionals who are busy and just want to feel proud of their website rather than worry about it.
These days, almost everything is available at the touch of a button, the high street is diminishing at an alarming rate and so many people take to the internet to search for whatever it is they need, and you should be taking advantage of this!
Do I need a website?
In our opinion, yes. A website acts like a shop window to potential customers. With the internet offering almost endless potential reach, being part of the crowd is definitely worth doing. Whether you’re a sole trader, small business owner of a multi-million pound corporation, having a website is an integral part of any business.
Having a website can not only help to generate new business, but it acts as a tool for credibility, helps to build trust and accountability in your potential and existing customers, improves the way your business comes across to others (even if you’re a one-man or one-woman band). Being active and present online allows you to keep up to date with the latest marketing trends, monitor the competition and take advantage of the huge audience at your fingertips.
Accessibility:
The nature of a website and the internet is that is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It never closes. Even if you’re not working, your website is. Many people lead hugely busy lives and so will often search for products or services they might be in need of in the comfort of their own home, during their commute to work and on the go.
People also use the internet to search for comparisons for things they might need, often in the local area, e.g – a plumber, electrician, hair dresser, nearby yoga instructor or local coffee shop. Therefor if you have a website which is Google friendly, then the chances are your website will come up in the list of suggestions and you’ll have a good chance of acquiring a new customer off the back of this.
Generating Sales:
The bottom line of any business is that it needs to make money. Without sales, that isn’t going to happen. Often, word of mouth is a powerful tool in generating new leads and achieving sales, however this can often be quite limited. Having a website, opens your business up to a much much wider audience, offering a much larger potential in generating sales and making money.
Social Media:
The majority of people use one form of social media in today’s world. Whether that be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Snapchat even, these are all additional media outlets which you can use to help promote your business, however you shouldn’t rely on social media alone.
Sharing your website or a recent blog post onto your business’ social media accounts, and even your personal accounts can catch the attention of people who might have seen what you do but haven’t yet made the leap to visit your website. Encouraging your friends and family to share your posts from your business accounts can lead to a dramatic jump in the number of people your accounts are reaching, which could in turn lead to a few new customers or sales.
Instagram is a fantastic way to connect with your existing and potential customers. People like to see what they’re buying and they also like to feel as though they know ‘who’ they are buying from.
Your website is your portfolio:
Your website can act as a place for you to showcase your work and the services you offer. It is as we have said before, like a shop window for your customers. As a small business or sole trader, being able to draw potential customers and clients in. Your website is often your customer’s first point of contact and so it is important to make a good impression, prove to your customers or clients why they should choose you above all others.
Here is one of our previous websites designed for a local client in Chichester, West Sussex. Whilst we work with sole traders and small businesses across Sussex and Hampshire, the bulk of our business comes from sole traders and small business in Chichester, Bognor Regis, Petersfield, Midhurst, and Portsmouth areas.
