Now that you have the ground work, people need a way to reach you. I would recommend not giving out your personal information, and separating your business from you.
You can get a free phone number through Google Voice or similar service with it’s own voicemail. This way you don’t have to give out your personal number, carry two cell phones, or set up a land line that you have limited access to. You can put the app on your phone and now your cell phone receives your personal and your business calls. It can be redirected to a landline during the times you want to answer a “real” phone. You can obviously get an official number that can be listed; I did not want to spend that money when it was not necessary. If you need one, then skip this ;)
If you aren’t going to have a physical location, you may want to get a P.O. box so that your home address isn’t registered as your business address. I found a local mail center where the address is not “P.O.” so it appears to be a physical location.
You want a website. If you have a complicated application, you will need to find coders who can handle this highly technical demand. If you just need a website to market a local business or even handle some basic e-commerce, you can actually build it yourself. This is build on Wix, which is affordable and user-friendly. However, if you don't want to add website management to your plate, look into using a small, local company. The benefits are that they will be more affordable, and you can generally reach them quickly if you have any website issues or need quick changes. I would look online, choose 3 companies with websites you like (you are judging them on their style after all) and set up meetings. Go with the one your gut tells you to. Cost aside, you will rely on these people and your website is your company’s first impression to potential customers.
My business site is built on a Word Press platform; if you want to understand more about what the right platform is for you, I can tell you more about my experiences.
Finding a host can also present some challenges. Services like Wix can provide the URL, the hosting and the ability to build, while Word Press requires you to pick a host company. Pick a host with 24 hour service and access. Trust me. Call some companies, and see how quickly you can get help and how much customer service they give. And give some thought as to how much security you will want; and assure that you will be able to increase security as needed and with ease.
Commentaires