Since the 1990s, businesses of all sizes have been using websites to reach customers online. For several years, we’ve been providing affordable quality web design to businesses in Glasgow and throughout Scotland.
However, In the digital age, social media has opened doors to making your business seen and heard without a website, and often in ways that websites alone might not even achieve.
That often leaves business owners, many of our clients included, with a conundrum – “Does my business really need a website?”
In this post, we’ll look at what websites actually are, the most common types of websites we design for businesses throughout Glasgow and Scotland, and what you could use your new website for.
What is a website?
On a technical level, a website is a collection of web pages that share some common theme and have some kind of interrelated structure to one another.
However, on a more basic and marketing level, a website is a tool for showcasing information, services or products in an accessible way.
What types of websites are there?
Over the decades, the uses, nature, and “types” of websites have evolved both as the capabilities of devices and the internet have increased, and the demands of businesses and users.
We’ll run through some of the two most common types of web design projects we complete for businesses throughout Glasgow and Scotland
Showcase or Catalog Websites
Probably the most common type of website, these sites showcase information about your business that your customers can access as and when they require. Although the most common web design project we undertake for Glasow and Scottish businesses, they are by no means basic! Your showcase website can help to streamline business processes by collecting key customer information at the point of enquiry, or a well designed FAQ page could save you countless hours answering the same queries over the phone, email or messages.
eCommerce Websites
E-commerce websites allow your customers to purchase your products or services online. They can handle everything, from controlling stock levels, calculating and applying postage charges, and taking payments. We often find clients who previously operated via social media only feel like they have hours of their day back – since they no longer have to process orders manually, repeatedly chase payment or give out PayPal or payment links! Instead, your customers can be given free rein to browse your entire product range and purchase without you having to intervene.
How do I tell if my business needs a website?
The best way to answer this question is to consider, what would you use it for? As we covered in our types of websites, they can be used to showcase information in a consistent and coherent matter that you may not otherwise be achieved on social media platforms. Alternatively, your website could serve to streamline the ordering process for you and your customers, saving you time and money, and improving customer experience.
The most common purposes our Glasgow web design clients use their sites for include:
- Communicate service updates
- Provide a clear and easy point of contact
- Share news and blog
- Provide support or customer aftercare guides
- Build brand trust
- Improve visibility of your business, in particular in search engines
- Provide a central hub for your marketing efforts
- Allow customers to make payment in a convenient way
- Allow customers to browse products and order online
- Take bookings online 24/7
Get your business the website it deserves from a friendly wee Glasgow web designer!
Decided a website would benefit your business? Great! We’re a Glasgow-based web designer and love working with businesses just like yours from throughout and Scotland the UK. We offer affordable, fixed-fee web design packages that you can check out here.