The past 14 months has been a very strange time for many businesses. Some businesses have done really well while many are still struggling at the moment. If you are one of the businesses that are struggling then you may need to think on new ways in which you can start to grow your business and start to increase your turnover again. Online marketing can be really effective and show quick and instant results, if you chose the right avenues to invest your time and money in.

As we have not been able to have much face to face contact with people recently, online marketing has become even more important as many of the sales and enquiries you have will need to come vis your website. If you do not already use one of the many social media platforms to market your business then now definitely is the time to get on board. Social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram can help you reach thousands of people in an instance. This can quickly grow your business. Much of social media marketing is free so your return can be very profitable.

You may have been considering selling your products or services online in the past but never actually made the commitment. If this is the case then now would be the perfect time to take the plunge.

For many people thinking of setting up their own business now may seem like an unwise time to embark on what can be a risky venture anyway, but it really depends on what your business is as some companies are doing very well in these strange times.

If your business is mainly going to be online which means that it is unnecessary to lease a business premise, then the increase in online purchases in recent times is going to be advantageous to you. The overhead costs of leasing a business premises and employing staff eats away into the most successful businesses profits so not having to do these things could result in a more profitable business.

If you can find a demand for products or services that no other business is fulfilling, then a business in that sector could be successful. As non-essential shops are having to close periodically across the country a number of products are difficult to obtain, an example of this is greetings cards. During the first lockdown many supermarkets sold out of greetings cards as the independent card shops were forced to close. A business that designs and makes bespoke greetings cards would be an example of a potentially successful start-up company that could do well at this time.

SEO is an important consideration for any website and, if you are having a new website built, it should be taken into account from the outset. Once you start with a rebuild project, it will be too late to consider SEO as thoroughly as it should be considered, as it should inform content, site structure, URL structure, and more. It is a factor that should be discussed with a web design agency long before the actual build process takes place.

SEO and web design should really be seen as one in the same thing, with each one informing the other. They work closely together and as such, should be considered in parallel. Choosing a web design agency that also knows about SEO and search marketing will really help you to push your project in the right direction and keep it in line with SEO best practice. Any agency you work with should be well qualified in both areas.

A new website for your business – it’s exciting stuff. Web design trends often change, and website designs need to incorporate various elements to make your website functional. With this in mind, is it really sensible to have a set idea in mind of what you want your website to look like?

Everyone will have their own design preferences; it’s an individual thing. However, deciding exactly how you want your site to look could be detrimental to its execution. Your web designer will design you a website that is modern, functional and attractive, bringing in all the necessary elements. By all means, give them ideas and tell them what styles you like – it is your website, after all. The difficulty comes when you know exactly what you want and try to explain it to your designer. They are professionals, so it’s best to trust them with your design. You can always make changes afterwards.

A website build is a huge process, that will easily go off track if it is not project managed to perfection. As a web design client, there are many things that you can do to improve your chances of having your website ready and live at the time you want it. Here are some of the things you can do:

1. Communicate with your web design agency. Make sure they know your plans and timescales, and give them the chance to tell you if they are realistic. Make sure you get regular updates as the project progresses.
2. Get everything done from your end. If you need to provide content, or you have to give the agency images, make sure they are ready.
3. Change your domain over. If you are switching from one agency to another, and your domain is owned by your previous agency, take care of the admin well ahead of time.