"Do I Really Need a Website?"

Your website is, arguably, the single most important marketing tool for your business. If you want to be taken seriously as a business, you simply must have a website. 

Your website is the first visual introduction your customer has to you or your business (unless you have a physical, brick-and-mortar storefront or office). It represents your brand, your personality, and your products or services; and gives your business a "home base" to tell about your pricing, your location (if applicable) and how to reach you. 

But what many small business owners don't realize is that your website, when built correctly, can work as your most dedicated and tireless salesperson. It can work around the clock, 24/7, and can work locally or globally; going out into that great big world, finding your target market, grabbing them and bringing your customers to you. And, it can do all this for close to free, without keeping any commission.

It's nearly impossible to put a price on the value that a good website can bring your business. It is a relatively minuscule investment in a business partner that will work with you and for you, for as long as you are in business.  It can, single-handedly, make the difference between whether you fail or succeed.

"Can't I Just Use Social Media?"

In a word....no. In two words, please no. 

Don't get me wrong, social media has its place. It can be a very helpful supplemental marketing tool. But it should never, ever be the foundation of your business. 

Why not?

"What About Wix, Weebly or Squarespace?"

This is absolutely imperative to understand; Wix, Weebly and Squarespace are not built for people who want to build a serious business from a website. They have spent millions in advertising convincing people just like you that this is an easy, viable option for people who don't want to hire a designer. However, it's imperative that you understand: 

So yes....for a specific small group of people, these "DIY" platforms might work. If you require a simple site, with no customization, and you don't plan on ever expanding your business to anything more than a simple site. And if you plan on spending a lot on advertising since your audience will never find you through Google. 

The Smart Choice....WordPress

For everyone else, I strongly recommend going with WordPress. 

SIDE NOTE: It's important to note that there are two versions of WordPress; WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

When I refer to WordPress, I am referring to WordPress.org. 

If you want to learn more about the differences between the two, you can Google "WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org." If you don't care to know the "why," just trust me :-) 

If you don't want to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a custom-coded website, but also want a more professional option that allows you to grow in the future, then WordPress.org is the only way to go. 

WordPress does require a bit of a learning curve, but it is "learnable" for the motivated person who wants to take their business seriously. It also offers unlimited options for growth or added functionality. You can add just about anything to your website through "plugins," which are individual pieces of "code" that allow you to add things to your site to make it do what you want it to do. Although it sounds complicated, it really isn't; and that is why WordPress.org is by far the wisest choice for a small business website. 

However, setting up a WordPress site is not exactly intuitive. It can be figured out, but I won't lie; expect to have some mind-blowing frustrating moments where you are in danger of throwing your computer out the window. Trust me, I've been there! 

That's why I offer a basic "Starter Package," as you'll see below. 

This package allows me to do all the behind-the-scenes "techie" and sometimes frustrating installations and set-up for you. What takes me just a few days might take weeks for a beginner to stumble through. Then, once it's all set up, I create some basic templates for you so that you can take over and work on your site at your pace, as you wish; with you at the helm and completely in control of your own site. 

Affordable Small Business Website Packages

Additional Required Costs

As I mentioned above, there are a few required additional costs that I will outline below. Further down below, I outline the optional additional costs that you may or may not need to add onto your site in the future. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

In order for me to work with you, I do require that you sign up for Thrive Architect as your theme. A "theme" is merely a pre-set template that will determine the layout, colors, and overall appearance of your site. There are literally tens of thousands of themes out there, and I've tried at least half of them (ok, maybe not, but it feels like it!). 

By far, hands down, the absolute best theme I have found is Thrive Architect, And no, I am not an affiliate and I don't get any kickbacks for recommending them, just FYI. But Architect is the most powerful, customizable, insanely incredible theme I have found yet. It's not even technically a "theme" but is a "drag-and-drop builder," like Squarespace and Wix pretend to be; but Thrive Architect is darn near unlimited. The options are limitless, the support is incredible, and once I set things up for you, you will fall in love with it just like I have.

Therefore I will only work with clients that agree to use Thrive Architect. One reason is because each and every theme out there has a learning curve; and in order to keep my prices down, I have to keep to a system I am familiar with. And the other (main) reason is because Architect is just simply the best option out there, and I can't in good conscience recommend anything but this theme for you and your business!