The importance of a professional website for any business

Cotswold Web • 22 March 2022

It doesn’t matter if you’re running a one-man band or a multinational enterprise and it doesn’t matter if your business is long established or it just started yesterday, a professional website is important for any business.

If your website doesn’t imply professionalism, quality and credibility, potential customers will be scared away. They will miss out on your fantastic products or services and you will miss out on those all-important sales.


Of course, you could build a website yourself. There are lots of no-cost or very low-cost options out there, like Wix, Squarespace and WordPress, but do you know how best to use them? Can you showcase your brand in the best possible way and present a seamless user experience to your customers and prospective customers? And do you even have the time to do it?

The answer to all these questions is almost certainly ‘no’.

If you’re not experienced in web design, you could be wasting valuable time, which could be better spent elsewhere in your business, rather than leaving the web design to professionals who can really make a difference to your sales, conversions or footfall.

You may be worried that a professional website will be too expensive for a small or new business. But you may be surprised to discover that it is remarkably affordable – and you will definitely see a return on your investment.



Here’s why it is important to have a professional website for any business…


Skills and knowledge


Professional website designers, who spend all their time designing and building sites, can get your site up and running far quicker than someone who is trying to do it themselves. They also have skills and knowledge far beyond those of someone who dabbles in Squarespace or WordPress, so they can build a site which really delivers.


User experience


Professional web designers have tools which allow them to see exactly what visitors look at when they see your page. Along with information on browsing actions, professional designers know exactly which parts of your site work and which don’t. They can fix problems visitors might not even notice consciously, but which may discourage them from returning to your site.

Small adjustments to the user experience (UX), which someone without professional knowledge would probably be unaware of, can make a real difference to your bottom line.


Strong branding


A do-it-yourself drag and drop website will never do your brand justice, however many pretty templates it offers you.


A custom design by a professional website designer will help set your brand apart from the competition and really highlight what your strengths are.


A strong brand will make your business more memorable, which will make it more likely for customers to come back to you in the future.


SEO


Search engine optimisation, or SEO, will help you to attract new customers. Professional website designers will optimise your site for SEO, by building content around the keywords you want your site to rank for, such as ‘garden design Gloucestershire’ or ‘tattoo parlour Cheltenham’.


Over time, SEO will help to attract new customers to your business, by making your website more visible on Google and other search engines.


Clearly show your products and services


Your website is your shop window, so you want to show your products and services at their very best. A professional designer will help ensure you have the high quality photos, images and video on your website to really showcase your products and services.


They can also use quality images and video on your website to give visitors a feel of your physical location – such as a coffee shop or hair salon – to inspire them to visit.


More leads and customers


A good website will generate leads for your business 24 hours a day, because it has effective calls to action (CTAs) throughout the sales funnel.


Getting the sales funnel right is something which takes skill and experience. A professional website designer has the experience to get it right first time and will generate more leads and more sales than a DIY site. So even though a professional website costs more than building it yourself, it will soon give you a good return on investment (ROI).


Credibility and authority


People like to buy from a brand they can trust. If your company is very new or very small, how do they know they can trust it?


A visitor will decide within a fraction of a second whether to trust your business. A professional website, with a seamless UX, fast loading speeds and no downtime looks like it belongs to a credible and trustworthy business.


If your website appears credible, people will be much more likely to buy from you than from a business which is selling the same, but has a website which was clearly built by an amateur.


If your website doesn’t look professional, even if the content is relevant, potential customers won’t see it as being as trustworthy as other similar sites.

Improved customer service


A professional website, which includes a chatbot and frequently asked questions (FAQs) will give a better service for customers, as they should be able to find the answers to nearly all of their questions without having to phone or email your business. That means it will also save you time and money, as rather than pay people to answer customer queries, they can work in other areas of the business, which will be more beneficial to your bottom line.

 

Here at Cotswold Web, we have over 50 years’ experience of marketing and web design between us, and we also have access to the very latest cutting-edge technology – a real win-win for our customers!


We’ve worked on projects for companies and organisations of all sizes. We know what can go wrong and, most importantly, we know how to make a business successful online.


Our experience means we will build a website which will drive customers to take the actions you want them to take – whether that is sales, signing up for subscriptions, footfall to your bricks and mortar business or something else.


Of course, our websites look pretty (or however you want them to look!), but there’s far more to web design than that. Every time we design and build a website, we focus on how it will generate more business for you.


We all know how frustrating it is when a website loads slowly – and it’s bad for your search engine optimisation (SEO) too. Our sites are all optimised to load at lightning speed, to meet with Google best practice. This stops potential customers from leaving your site immediately and also helps improve your search ranking.



The good news is, our professional website designs aren’t expensive. We have designs to suit all budgets. And even if you opt from one of our simplest designs, your business will benefit from our years of experience and all the latest technology.

 

You might have been wondering how you can afford a professional website, especially for a small or new business. But it’s important to remember that a professional website will really strengthen your brand. It will help your business to grow and drive potential customers to it 24/7. The question should be how you can afford not to have a professional website!

More Posts.

A man is pointing at a group of people with a marker.
by Richard Jaques 26 March 2025
In today's digital landscape, effective content marketing can be the key differentiator for small businesses striving to stand out. As consumers increasingly turn to online platforms for information, brands must engage their audiences through valuable content that resonates with their needs. Understanding the nuances of content marketing is crucial; it encompasses various strategies designed to attract, inform, and delight customers while ultimately driving sales. From developing engaging customer personas to measuring success through specific metrics, small businesses have an incredible opportunity to refine their marketing approach. This article explores eight proven strategies that can lead to content marketing success for small businesses, equipping you with the tools necessary to create impactful and sustainable marketing efforts. 1. Understanding the Importance of Content Marketing Content marketing is vital for small businesses. It helps connect them with their target audience, builds brand awareness, and drives organic traffic. A well thought out content marketing strategy lets small businesses compete with larger companies by using cost effective methods. Regularly sharing valuable content can position a business as an expert in its field. This fosters trust and encourages potential customers to seek their services. Documenting your content strategy also increases the chances of seeing your marketing efforts as effective, allowing a higher allocation of budget toward content marketing. Creating a diverse range of content types is key. Here are some content formats to consider: Blog Posts Social Media Posts Email Marketing Visual Content Developing a strategic content plan helps business owners carve out unique market spaces. Establishing clear business goals and using tools like Google Analytics to gauge conversion rates can refine your approach. Below is a quick checklist for effective content marketing: Know your target audience Set SMART goals Use a content calendar Perform a content audit By focusing on these elements, small businesses can enhance their content marketing efforts and achieve growth. 2. Developing Customer Personas for Targeted Engagement To create targeted content, small business owners should develop detailed buyer personas. These personas are fictional versions of ideal customers, including demographic and psychographic details. Tools like Google Analytics and social media insights provide valuable data to shape these personas, making them more accurate. Understanding your target audience through buyer personas is key. It allows content marketers to tailor pieces of content that address specific needs and challenges. This approach boosts engagement and builds trust with potential customers. It is often necessary to have multiple personas to cater to various products, services, or customer segments. Each persona reflects different motivations and interactions with your brand at various stages of the customer journey. Here's how you can develop them: Collect Data: Use surveys, Google Analytics, and social media insights. Analyse: Determine the needs, interests, and behaviours of your audience. Create Multiple Personas: Define different segments based on your findings. Tailor Content: Use the personas to guide your content marketing efforts. Effective personas lead to a successful content marketing strategy, enhancing your business goals with every piece of content created. 3. Crafting a Comprehensive Content Plan Creating a successful content plan is key for small business owners. It acts as a guide to align all your content marketing efforts with your business goals. Here’s how you can craft a comprehensive content plan: Identify Key Topic Areas: Focus on subjects relevant to your target audience. This ensures you create valuable content that speaks directly to potential customers. Choose Content Types: Use a mix of blog posts, infographics, and videos. Different content formats can help engage various segments of your market. Plan Distribution Channels: Decide where to share your content. Consider social media posts, email marketing, and your website for maximum reach. Set Calls to Action: Encourage your audience to take the next step. This could be signing up for a newsletter or visiting a product page. Utilise a Content Calendar: This keeps your content marketing strategy organised and consistent, minimising missed opportunities. Analyse Metrics: Use Google Analytics to track conversion rates, engagement, and content performance. Including these elements in your content plan aligns with the fact that structured strategies significantly boost success rates. Regular content audits refine this strategy further, ensuring continued engagement and growth .
A close up of a blue laptop keyboard with white keys
by Richard Jaques 13 March 2025
This article will delve into the strategies, statistics, and tips that will define successful content marketing efforts in the coming years
A magnifying glass with the word seo on it
11 March 2025
Today, SEO is about far more than stuffing your website with keywords. Google and the other search engines are wise to this tactic and have moved on from it.
A woman is sitting at a desk using a laptop computer.
20 January 2025
While different disciplines, UX is becoming increasingly important to SEO success. It isn’t a direct ranking factor in SEO,
silhouette  of a person against a backdrop of computer text
19 November 2024
Heading 1 Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a huge impact in many areas of life and SEO is no exception. While it has made online searches easier for consumers, keeping up with it and staying ahead as a business can be challenging. As Google integrates advanced AI into its search results, businesses must rethink their SEO strategies. Understanding the future of SEO in the context of AI is essential to appear high on search rankings and remain competitive. Traditionally, search engine optimisation (SEO) has relied largely on keyword optimisation and link building. If you sell garden products, you would make sure the phrase ‘garden products’ was used frequently throughout your website. You would also look to get some links back to your site from other websites – maybe other businesses in your local area or in a complementary sector. These traditional SEO methods are becoming less effective. AI means search engines like Google and Bing have become better at understanding the intent behind a search, through machine learning algorithms analysing huge quantities of data, as well as natural language processing. Natural language processing doesn’t just understand the words in a query, it understands the context and intent behind it. AI can even understand synonyms, slang and regional variation in language! When someone searches for something online, AI can analyse, interpret and predict their behaviour. So businesses have to adapt their SEO strategies to changing algorithms to stay competitive. You need to have a deeper understanding of your target audience and produce content which meets their needs and answers their queries. It is about providing the best answer to the questions your audience is asking, because AI algorithms are skilled at recognising content which meets the search intent of users and provides value. This means that content which is designed to meet specific needs, answer questions and provide the solutions to problems is more likely to rank higher in searches. AI algorithms will prioritise content which resonates with users on a human level – with every paragraph adding more value and depth. This aligns with AI’s preference for content which engages and informs – and also helps build a stronger connection with your target audience. In addition, AI is making voice searches (e.g. Alexa) much more effective. Voice searches tend to use more words than online searches e.g. ‘find me healthy snacks for pre-school children’ rather than just typing ‘healthy snacks’ into Google with no context. This aspect of AI will continue to grow in importance and become even more widely used.
SEO Audit by Cotswold Web Cheltenham
by Cotswold Web 1 October 2024
An SEO audit is a way to evaluate how well your website is optimised for search engines
Share by: