How do you find time for it all? When you’re running a business there are so many tasks to juggle and hats to wear that keeping on top of your to-do list can feel like an impossible task. There are business-critical tasks that you can’t let slide no matter what; that means less urgent things get put off. Things like updating your website, or learning how to do pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Slowly, your website becomes outdated and your competitors start to sell more than you because they’ve mastered PPC. But what can you do? You’re already working every hour possible to keep on top of things and you can’t neglect the must-do in favour of the nice to have. The key is striking the right balance and forming the right partnerships.

A great business website is great for business

That’s why the 123-reg Online Experts are so keen to help new and existing businesses maximise their online potential. At the heart of that team is Leanne Beale, who has spent years ensuring that businesses big and small get the most out of their online presence.

She explained how: “The idea is the Online Experts work with businesses that find they don’t have time to do everything themselves. So it might be a one man band or they might be working full time and running a business as a separate side project. At the forefront of things for our team is delivering exceptional customer service for them so they don’t have to worry about any technical details, they don’t have to worry about having any web experience.”

The team is focused on three core areas. The first is getting you a website that customers want to use, the second is getting that website out there so you can attract customers and the third is building on that initial success.

“We do website building, if they need a new website to promote their business, once they’ve got a strong website they need to promote it so we’ve got AdWords services and once they’ve done that they start to build a customer base so they’ve got a customer list and they need to build on the email social media and SMS marketing side. So that’s how it all joins together.”

To the uninitiated, all this might sound complicated but that’s the beauty of having someone else work with you on these kinds of projects – there’s always someone there to explain things.

“We’re also taking things off their hands. If they’re running a business they’re going to have a million and one things to do. The last thing they want to be worrying about is working with designers or building a website themselves.

“What we do is we aim to take the burden off them, so we’ll have a consultation with them gather up their assets and then we’ll do the rest of it for them. So really we’re taking the strain off them so they don’t have to worry about being involved in every single thing.”

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That means that business owners know they’re going to be able to focus on the things that matter: growing their business and improving the products and services that they offer.

Keeping your business website fresh

“Sometimes existing online businesses want a new website because maybe the one they’ve got hasn’t worked out for them or, with the package they’ve got from 123-reg it makes sense for them to combine things all in one place. That goes back to the idea of making everything seamless,” Leanne said.

“They have to go back to basics. Is it easy for their customers to reach them if they need to? Do they have their phone number? Do they have their email address? Things that might seem really, really basic are often forgotten. That happens a lot.

“But as well as that they need to be professional. Whatever industry you’re in, the internet as a whole, is a crowded place and the site needs to be professional and often that’s where things fall down a little bit. Often that’s where we step into give them a professional front.

“So they need to be able to really look at their website with a fine-tooth comb and think ‘is this professional, does it represent my brand, can customers easily reach me and are they going to understand what my business is about?’.”

Another huge issue for online businesses is keeping up with an ever-changing landscape. Leanne and the team also have that covered.

“I guess that’s why the Online Experts offering is really robust because we take the burden off having to keep up with industry changes. That’s what we do. We are experts in our field, so we will take care off keep track of the changing online landscape.

“So for example the Google update where they started giving improved rankings to mobile websites; that had huge implications for businesses with older websites. And it’s something we can take care of for them.”

And for businesses that aren’t online, Leanne has a stark warning.

“I would absolutely say that they need to be online. That is where everyone is and you are going to miss a trick if you’re not. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, the main area where people are searching for businesses and services is online. It’s the most convenient way of looking up and business service or product you need. And I guarantee for any business if they’re not on there, their competitors are. And it doesn’t have to be hugely expensive, but there needs to be something there. There needs to be something that is easily searchable so that people locally can find you.”

And for those who have already taken their business online, it’s important to remember that that’s just the first step.

“It’s not just about having a website, it’s a combined effort across various marketing channels. The website should be seen as the foundation for their marketing efforts, but then there are other things because a website doesn’t guarantee immediate traffic. It’s that combined force that makes a difference.”

To find speak to the 123-reg Online Experts about getting a new website for your business either fill in the contact form on our Make Me a Website page, or ring them on 0330 0144550.