Creating a Business Website That Actually Works

Julie Starr • November 23, 2022



It’s common knowledge by now that more and more businesses have gone through a
digital transformation . The world as a whole has shifted dramatically to depend more on technology and the business world has seen the potential.

Even small businesses now are likely to have an online presence and have seen the benefits. Here are some ways to help you to create a business website that actually helps your company.

How a Website Can Help

A website can have a huge impact on your company’s growth and profitability. It can allow you to reach customers all over the world. The internet is brilliant at one thing, and that is connecting people. While once, your target audience was limited to people who were local to your physical store or who you could otherwise reach in person, the internet allows you to reach everyone online. 

Some businesses, especially small businesses, have given up on physical stores altogether. Business websites are incredibly versatile, meaning that you can use them to advertise your product, sell your products, and offer advice and additional services. Your website can also act as a portfolio of your past work and allow customers to get to know your team and your company better.

However, certain industries still benefit from having a physical location for people to access. This might be an office or workshop where your employees work or a store that people can walk into to see your products in the flesh. However, your website will always draw more people in, especially if you use it right.

Social Media

As well as a business website, many companies expand their digital presence even further. Social media is essentially an online community where people congregate and share thoughts and opinions. People live separate lives on social media and can spend hours scrolling through to find something that interests them.

If your goal is to reach potential customers, then it makes sense to bring your brand to them. Social media allows you to do this in a setting that’s natural and comfortable for them. A social media account is a great platform to tell people about your business and what it has to offer.

Your social media account should have a personality that suits your brand. Some companies do this incredibly well. Both Wendy’s and Denny’s, fast food restaurants in the US, are well known for their social media accounts and the amount of personality and humor they deliver. Even if they aren’t directly advertising a product, people still see the brand.

This approach doesn’t work for every company. Some brands work better with a more professional social media presence, which means that you would avoid injecting as much personality into your posts. 

However, your social media account should be something that people find engaging and useful. If someone follows your business account, they’re far more likely to use your products or services. You can also use social media to tell people about any promotions or deals, which encourages people to try out your business. You should post regularly to encourage followers, but avoid spamming people with too many posts.

When setting up a social media account, be sure to link it to your business website so that people can visit it to make purchases or learn more about your company. 

Good Website Design

You can’t simply set up any old website and expect it to work. Your website needs to be designed so that people will find it easy to get around. Many people and companies use website design templates or platforms to help them to do this. Website design doesn’t have to be simply the domain of an IT professional anymore.

One great option is to outsource your website design to someone who knows exactly what they’re doing. They can then create a website that suits your needs and your brand, without any hiccups that could frustrate your customers. 

Services like Geelong offer a professional product that you and your customers can appreciate. If you want to create a new website for your Geelong business , then you can be assured that someone will develop exactly what you need. 

You should determine early what kind of website you want or need. If you’re selling a product, then an eCommerce website is a must. An online store like this can display your products and provides payment options for your customers. It should be easy to navigate and the checkout process should be as painless as possible to encourage customers to continue with the sale, rather than abandoning the shopping cart or basket.

However, other businesses might be able to make do with a simpler design. If you offer a service, then your website can instead act as a portfolio to show off your work and a point of contact between you and your customers. 

Sometimes eCommerce features, like payment options, are beneficial, so it’s best to figure out the best plan for your needs and design a website that can grow and develop further. Considerations like this are why web designers are so helpful.

Useful Content

As well as a platform to sell and advertise your products, your website should also include content for your customers and target audience to consume. Almost every business, no matter its niche, includes a blog of some kind, and so should you.

This is for a variety of reasons. First, while a website is convenient, it isn’t very personal. Part of the art of making a sale is getting a customer to like you. A blog allows you time to do this. If it’s well-written and useful, then a customer will appreciate it and be more likely to purchase a product or service from you. A blog can make you seem like more of an authority, which means that the customer can trust you. 

Content is also useful for marketing purposes, specifically SEO. SEO, otherwise known as search engine optimization, is a technique that works along with search engines on the internet to funnel people to your website. 

When most people are looking for a product or service, they use a search engine. They might type “blue wool coat for women” into the search bar and the engine will then find websites that it deems the most suitable for that subject. Typically, this will be a lot of clothing stores that sell coats.

The search engine results page (SERP) prioritizes two kinds of websites. First, most SERPs will display websites that have paid to be put there, making them more visible to customers. Paying Google or other search engines for this option is a fantastic way to get your brand out there. Secondly, the SERP will display relevant websites.

A search engine determines whether or not a website is relevant using content, backlinks, and keywords. The keyword is what the customer has typed in, so “blue wool coat for women”. The search engine will look for that word or phrase. It will also favor websites that are linked to other websites, as those are easier to find and better connected. So, your content provides search engines with more opportunities to find your website and consider it relevant, making it more likely for customers to find you. 

However, this doesn’t mean all your content should be stuffed with keywords. Search engines are intelligent and can spot this strategy. Your customers are also intelligent and will soon notice badly written content designed to appeal to a robot rather than a human. 

The first priority should be well-written, relevant content that people will find helpful. Many business owners choose to use content writers to add to their blogs. Another thing to consider is how often you post content. If you rarely update your blog, then you lose some of the benefits of owning one. Keep it up to date. 

Using Data Correctly

Your website is also a useful tool for generating data, which is a fantastic resource for any business. Customer data allows you to determine how effective your website is, as well as what people prefer. You can see which products sell best and which aren’t doing as well as they should be.

You can also track how people use your website, so you can see if any areas need improvement. For example, if many people don’t move on from the landing page, then it might not be designed in a way that helps people find what they are looking for. Or if they reach the checkout page but don’t complete the purchase, you could have another problem.

If possible, you should ask for the contact information of your customers. This means that you can reach out to them for other promotional deals, making them more likely to return. You can even contact them about abandoned shopping carts, offering a deal if they complete the purchase. 

A live chat option is an even better way to find out what your customers want, as you can ask them directly. Whatever you do, make sure that people don’t get annoyed or feel their privacy is threatened by your attempts to gather data.

By Julie Starr August 9, 2025
Running an online business can feel like a constant balancing act. You’re trying to grow, keep customers happy, and still have time for yourself. The trick to making it all work long-term is to build habits and systems that last. You don’t need a complicated plan or endless resources to do it either. Here are five straightforward ways to make your business more sustainable without overcomplicating things. Focus on long-term customer relationships If you want your business to last, you need customers who keep coming back. That doesn’t just happen because you’ve got a good product or service. It’s about making people feel valued every time they interact with you. Simple things like remembering their name, following up after a purchase, or sending a quick thank-you email can make a huge difference. People are far more likely to support a business they feel connected to, so keep those relationships personal and genuine rather than purely transactional. Make your marketing work smarter A big part of sustainability is making sure your marketing isn’t draining your time or money. You want it to be efficient and get results. This is where working with seo consultants can help. They know how to make sure people can find your business online without you throwing cash at random ads. Even if you can’t hire someone right now, you can start by focusing on keywords, improving your website’s loading speed, and posting valuable content that answers the questions your customers are already asking. Streamline your products or services It’s tempting to try to offer everything to everyone, but that’s rarely a good idea. The more you offer, the more time, money, and resources you’ll end up using. Instead, focus on the things you do best and make them as good as they can be. When you streamline what you’re selling, you can put all your energy into perfecting it, which makes it easier to maintain quality over time. Customers notice when you consistently deliver something great, and they’ll trust you more for it. Keep an eye on your finances No matter how much you enjoy the creative or customer side of your business, the numbers are what will keep you going long-term. That means knowing what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where you can cut costs without cutting quality. Set yourself a monthly check-in to look at your spending and profits. If you spot something that’s not working financially, don’t leave it for months, hoping it will improve. Tackle it early and you’ll avoid bigger problems down the road. Look after yourself You can’t run a sustainable business if you’re running yourself into the ground. Burnout isn’t just bad for you, it’s bad for your customers and your bottom line. Make sure you’re setting boundaries, taking breaks, and switching off when you can. That might mean scheduling a full day without work every week or turning your phone off after a certain time. The more balanced you are, the better decisions you’ll make, and the easier it will be to keep your business moving forward without constantly feeling like you’re in survival mode. Sustainability in business isn’t about doing one big thing; it’s about making intelligent, consistent choices that build over time. Start small, keep checking in on your progress, and before you know it, your business will feel a lot steadier and more future-proof than it did before.
By Julie Starr August 8, 2025
Are you hoping to build a heavy industry business? It’s the kind of company that can have globally sweeping positive and negative effects. On the one hand, you’re contributing to the industry, ensuring there’s enough supply to meet demand, and you can do your best to operate in a sustainable way that prioritizes the environment. But on the other hand, the heavy industry has long been the most significant business polluter in the world. Despite advancements in industry technology and usage, their ranking relative to other sectors, such as food and beverage , and shipping and logistics, has remained unchanged as of 2025. Requiring extensive use of large, heavy, and expensive machinery, the fumes produced by heavy-duty factories in sectors like mining, aerospace, nautical, and metal production regularly cause harm to both human and animal life. It’s why anyone interested in investing or scaling within an industry like this needs to focus on their company’s carbon footprint. There are various ways to ensure you’re limiting your harmful output and waste, and you’ll want to use as many as possible within your operation. Check out our recommendations below. Work with Green Suppliers No matter what stage you sit at in the hypothetical supply chain, you’re likely to source at least part of your overall production material from a supplier. If that’s not the case, you’ll still need to work with companies that provide machinery and equipment, as well as replacement parts for these industrial items. All in all, to make as sustainable a choice as possible, you’ll want to commit to working with a ‘green’ supplier who makes eco-conscious choices at every step. Eco-friendly suppliers will strive to both implement sustainable practices within their production line, as well as provide sustainably made and/or extracted materials. The products and/or parts they send out are likely to be recyclable when they reach their end-of-life period, or they’ll run a scheme where you can send old or broken parts back to them. Offset Your Carbon Emissions Offsetting carbon emissions converts the waste output from your operations into something more positive. If you’re interested in programs like this , you can use official government platforms or climate charity websites to contribute. You’ll be able to find a variety of projects that have been undertaken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and they’ll be located in various regions across the world. You can choose to patronise as many of them as you wish, but if you want to focus on specific types, you’ll also be able to do so. When approaching a program like this, it’s usually best to offset month by month, as this helps you stay on top of your carbon footprint. Be sure to invest in as much carbon removal per tonne as your business has potentially contributed to the atmosphere in the last month. But before you go any further, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind here: Carbon offsetting is just one sustainable practice you can turn to, but it’s not the only one your business will ever need to use. Yes, it’s one of the most sustainable practices a heavy industry business can invest in. But that’s only true when it’s partnered with real-time carbon-lowering efficiencies within day-to-day operations. Repair, Rather Than Throw Away Repairing is the best option if a repair is possible. This should be the first step when evaluating old or broken-down equipment. If it can be salvaged, it should be. Otherwise, you’ll have to replace the equipment in question. Not only is that expensive, but it also means more waste to manage. And not all heavy industry tech can be recycled. Sometimes it’s potentially hazardous and needs to be disposed of carefully, and this could have harsh impacts on the surrounding environment. Repairing is your best bet, at least 80% of the time. You can get back up and running faster, and you don’t need to account for a large investment at short notice. And more equipment can be repaired than you might think. It’s not just small, singular parts that can be pulled out. Entire internal systems in even large vehicles, such as freighter ships, can be replaced by secondary parts. A marine logistics provider or deep-sea fishing operator would save a lot of money just by ordering a Cummins Rebuild Kit for one of their vessels. Deciding to put the ship out of commission and eventually scrapping it will contribute to the large-scale waste common in companies like this. Aiming to repair and limit environmental damage will get that same boat back onto the waters in seaworthy condition. Operate with Lower Emission Logistics Shipping your products to businesses and markets always generates a carbon footprint. Unless you’re operating only within the local area and you’re able to transport products back and forth on foot, this is an unavoidable issue. And seeing as you’re a heavy industry business, that’s not very likely. But some shipping options are better than others. Indeed, there are low-emission choices to be made, and you’ll want to look into these logistic partners only. You’ll likely find that air travel is a total no-go zone. Alternatives to this are long-haul road transportation or a traditional shipping company that operates via sea. Yes, even trucking your products over land generates a lot less carbon waste that can damage the environment than flying something! Staying Green as a Heavy Industry Player Working sustainably within the heavy industry is a career-long project. You’ll need to continually make moves to consider what could be streamlined into something greener and less consuming next. In the end, this can help your long-term costs decrease and stay low. Fewer risky investments, fewer fees from environmental bodies, and more productive time within your business. So, it’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it