What a website actually does for you
Think of the website as your shop window. Except it is open at night, on Sunday, and to someone three streets away who has never walked past your shop.
When someone searches Google for “flower shop near me” or “bouquet for Mother’s Day”, Google shows websites first. If you do not have one, your competitors show up instead.
A good website for a neighbourhood business answers four questions within ten seconds:
- Where you are and how to get there.
- When you are open.
- What you do and roughly what it costs.
- How to order: phone, WhatsApp or a form.
Why a Facebook page alone is not enough
Facebook is useful and you can keep it. But it has three problems when it is the only place you exist.
- It is not yours. If your account gets blocked or the rules change, you disappear overnight.
- It does not always show up on Google. Many posts are not even visible to people without an account.
- It is messy. Opening hours and prices get lost among old posts, the customer gives up and calls someone else.
The website is your home, social media is the poster on the street
You post on Facebook and Instagram to catch attention. The website is where you send people once you have it: that is where they find everything they need to call you or come by.
The two do not compete. They work together, each with its own job.
How big it needs to be
Small. Really. The best websites for neighbourhood businesses have one to three pages: a first page with everything that matters, a page with what you offer and photos, and a place to contact you.
You can add online orders, a gallery or bookings later. But do not start there. Start with what customers ask you on the phone every day.
What this means for you, in practice
- Fewer calls asking “what are your opening hours?”.
- New customers from the neighbourhood who did not know you existed.
- Orders that arrive even while you are busy with customers in the shop.
If you want to see what a website for your business could look like, write to us. The first conversation is free of obligations and free of complicated words.