Do potential customers take one look at your website and run a mile? You might think that your product is strong enough to stand on your own merits, in which case it might come as a surprise to discover the number of different ways poor web design can put off a potential customer.
Edmund Draycott, who runs public address system company Audio Integrity, was aware that he’d need a good-looking website to make sure customers were interested in what he had to offer.
“I always think about a spice seller is Morocco. They’ll have these beautiful spices to tempt you in, but you still have the person out front who will invite you in for that cup of tea and sit down discuss what meal you want to make this evening,” he said.
“A website to me is like that spice stall. It entices people in lets people see what you have got on display and hopefully lead you to have a cup of tea with them and talk about what you can do for them.”
Edmund Draycott
To help make his business look its best, Edmund opted for the 123 Reg Website Builder, after first registering a domain name with the company.
“The Website Builder for me was the next stage. I needed a website very quickly,” he explained.
“I started handing out business cards and I wanted to make sure people could visit the website. I needed a really quick solution and Website Builder was the thing for me.”
“When we started using Website Builder we didn’t really know what our website was going to do. The first thing we wanted was the shop window I spoke about. The next stages for us might be a little bit of ecommerce, we might want to do a blog. We definitely will be publishing some technical articles on our subject matter, because we need to be seen as people who are influencers in this particular market.
What seemed very simple to me, about website builder, was being able to bolt on what I want when I want it. I can start off very simple and go on to build a very complex website, fairly quickly using the same tool.”
Using Website Builder also means that Edmund doesn’t have to hire a programmer every time he needs to make a change to the website.
And what has the website done for Audio Integrity as a business?
“Our website is more about supporting what we offer when we hand out a business card,” Edmund said.
“There is no substitute to direct selling, but if someone is searching for a particular thing, PA/VA for example, we want them to find our website and to be confident that we are in a position where we can deliver that service.”
He also had some words of advice for anyone looking to start a business: “The main thing is do a business that you know with people that you know. Don’t try and set up something that you know nothing about.
“Try and make it something niche. Not necessarily things other people aren’t doing but make sure that it is a niche product, where people can readily identify who you are and what you do.
“The other thing is go to 123 Reg, register and use the Website Builder.”
Need more help? We’ve put together a guide on what you need to consider when launching your first business website here.
You can also get in touch with us via Twitter and Facebook, while you can get to grips with Website Builder here.
