What Kind of Website do YOU Need?

If you are a small business owner, at one point or another, odds are, you've considered getting a website. If you have, and if you've been blown away by the number of options available to you, then you need to read this. We're going to go over the 3 major "types" of websites that we would typically recommend for a small business, and talk about when you would consider each kind. After reading this, we hope that you will be better prepared when you go shopping to get - or upgrade - your Website.

The Internet is fast replacing the phone book (and, for some demographics, has replaced it entirely) as the place to find a specific kind of business. A well done website gives your prospective customers a sense of ease and confidence in you, while an amateur or badly functioning website could cost you a sale, or even a long term customer. Make sure that you not only have the right website for your business - have the right website for your customers.

1. Minisite/Online Business Card

The first type of site is also the smallest. This is what we like to call a "Microsite", and it is basically an Online Business card. It would typically have 3 to 5 pages, with a Home Page, Contact information, and an About page. Depending on how often you want to update it, it could include things like News & Events, Sales or Menus.

Who is this best for?

A minisite is ideal for a business whose customers are mostly local, and is not in a highly competitive field; for example, a used book store, family restaurant or home daycare. The site would be mostly accessed directly by existing customers, or people who are already aware of you, looking for a specific piece of information, like operating hours or phone number. You would also be looking for people new to the area, or new customers for your industry, that are searching on very specific parameters.

A microsite is also appropriate for any business that wants or needs a website, but does not have a large budget. They are relatively cheap to develop, and the ongoing fees - such as hosting - will be minimal.

2. Brochure

A brochure website is defined less by its size, and more by its content. It will contain all of the information of a Minisite, but it's going to have some more to it as well. This is a place where you are going to show off your skills, what you've done, and what you can do. This is much more about advertising and promotion than a Minisite. For my personal favourite example of an online Brochure, just look around. I designed and built this site to show my skills as a Web Developer, but also to embody my personal philosophy as a Designer. That, however, is a topic for another time.

Just like the minisite, you'll have current customers visiting your page. You'll also be looking for new customers to your industry, and be trying to entice them to come to you over your competitors. Unlike the Minisite, a brochure is going to give you room to explain who and what you are, and why you should be chosen over your competition.

Who is this best for?

This website is ideal for businesses in a highly competitive field. You are trying to show off what you do, and how well you do it. This is the full page ad to the Minisite's classified spot. You'll often see something like this for a photographer, Real estate agent or a travel destination. Any field that is based on creative output, or a knowledge field, is perfect for a brochure site. It offers many additional opportunities to show off the result of your work, or your expertise in the industry through a portfolio or a blog, for example.

The budget on a Brochure site is going to be much higher than a Minisite, but still affordable. Done well, it should quickly pay for itself in new business.

3. E-Commerce

I am a big fan of statistics, which is appropriate for some of the things that I do, and I know that I share this love with very few others. However, there is one statistic that all business people enjoy - and that's sales figures. I've gotten some figures from the Q2 2007 US Census, regarding retail and e-commerce sales.

• Q2 2007 saw $33,645,000 of online sales in the US, 3.3% of total retail sales for the quarter
• This is a 6.4% increase over the previous quarter, and 20.8% over the same quarter 2006
• Total retail sales increased 1.7% and 3.2% over the same time periods

Those numbers should make it obvious that E-commerce is growing strong - much faster than standard retail - and there is a lot of room for further growth. Some business just cannot be done via the Internet; live pet sales comes to mind. But for many retail industries, having an online presence makes sense. An Online store is not only a good advertisement for your business, it can generate a lot of revenue for you. An additional benefit, that not many people consider, is its value in Search Engine Marketing. The search engine boost of hundreds of pages dedicated to specific search term is invaluable to your business.

Who is this best for?

An E-commerce site is best for any small business with a product that is easy to ship, or is high enough value that shipping costs are not prohibitive. It also requires somebody who is willing to take a risk on a project, and stick with it over time. Let's face it - an online store is going to cost a lot of money. There is a lot of work involved in setting one of these up. Not just in Design and development, but in security issues around accepting payment. There is the worry of credit card fraud, shipping problems and data security.

Like in many things, with these risks come great rewards. You're open to customers from all over the world - although practically, you'll only be dealing with people from the same general geographic region, because of language issues, or the impracticality of worldwide shipping. Even still, a well done E-commerce website allows a small retail shop the opportunity to find customers that otherwise would never have been exposed to them.

From another angle, this is the perfect solution for any business with a very small target market. Everybody in the world needs light bulbs - but maybe only 1 person in 100,000 needs your high powered specialty bulb. If that is the case for your market, it is probably worth the investment of an online store.

There are 3 major types of websites that small businesses have - Minisites, Brochure sites, and E-commerce sites. After reading this article, you should be better prepared to decide what is going to be best for your business.