Explore how small and medium sized businesses can choose the perfect CMS to build and scale their online presence.
For any small and medium-sized business, being seen online is a crucial step to scaling and elevating. But creating a strong digital presence can become a conundrum many SMEs have to overcome.
As the public face of your business, a well-organised website is the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal. At a time when 85% of consumers will conduct research before they make a purchase online, having a slick website that stands out among your competitors is the cornerstone for capturing your customer base’s attention & ensuring site visits are converted into sales.
Professional websites
A professional, user-friendly website with a clean, attractive, and modern design is more likely to visually connect with consumers than a basic, clunky website with an uninspiring design. First impressions are crucial and customers are more likely to trust a business with a good website that has an enhanced user experience. In fact, according to a Stanford University report, 75% of people believe that they judge the credibility of any business through its website.
The importance of a good website – the stats stack up!
3.8 Million
Google searches conducted every minute around the globe (SEOtribunal.com)
88%
of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience
(uxcam.com)
75%
of consumers admit to making judgements on a company’s credibility based on the company’s website design
(Stanford University)
61%
of users are unlikely to return to a site on mobile if they had trouble accessing it and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead
(Google)
39%
of people will stop engaging with a website if images won’t load or take too long to load.
(Source: Adobe)
Simply having a website is not enough.
Creating a highly efficient and effective website that draws users in and keeps them there is no small feat and many SMEs will fall victim to common mistakes when building or redesigning a website.
The first hurdle is deciding what content management system (CMS) is right for you and your business. There are many CMSs to choose from, varying in complexity and capabilities and it’s important to take the time when choosing the right CMS for your website.
Be wary of DIY options
The most common web design mistake we see small businesses make is trying to build it yourself on a no code platform. While some no code platforms are really powerful, doing a DIY job can not only consume more of your valuable time away from building your brand and business, but without expert input, it may result in a lesser product that struggles to attract and convert customers.
You often get what you pay for…
Similarly, picking the cheapest CMS is rarely the best option in the long run. Despite the appeal of this cost-saving measure, it can be difficult to scale your site as your customer’s needs and your products and services develop.
It can also be too easy to stick with a legacy CMS, traditional systems that are not built for the cloud or your growing business, with the idea of migrating to a new system daunting and overwhelming. However, to compete in today’s digital landscape, you need to be able to deliver content to your audience when they want it and many legacy CMS platforms were not built with user experience in mind. Be that of your marketing team or your customers.
Choose a CMS that will grow with you
As your business grows, it’s important that your website grows with. The two should be intertwined and a website that is scalable will grow along with the needs and capabilities of a company so it can continue to have a beneficial impact on business growth.
Why we love WordPress
At Indigo Ross we use WordPress CMS to build our client’s websites. While it won’t be right for everyone, we find this CMS is ideal for small organisations. It will grow with you from a one-person-band to a full marketing team. And it’s not just shop window websites that perform well on WordPress, its e-commerce capabilities are effective too.
You can find out more about some of the websites we have created here. And if you want to find out more about why WordPress is our CMS of choice, get in touch.
