27/09/2024
My second website build many years ago was for a small business that made custom metal railings. The owner had a small presence on Facebook and decided it was time for a website. The build took 10 days, and the owner loved the site, complimenting me on how much better it looked than his competitors' websites. A week later, though, he messaged me wanting to cancel. Why?
"Because I can't find the site unless I punch in the exact website name," he said.
I suggested we jump on a call so I could explain why that’s completely normal and discuss what SEO is all about. It was something I mentioned early on, but I hadn’t stressed its importance. The owner was very cost-conscious, and I didn’t want to scare him away by diving deep into SEO and marketing strategies at the start. But now, he didn’t even want to discuss it further, and at that moment, I realized I’d made the mistake of choosing the “wrong” customer—a business owner who didn’t understand that a marketing budget is as crucial to their business as other operational costs. I am to blame as well. My error was not focusing on this during our initial discussions because I was eager to get the sale.
From that experience, I learned a vital lesson: I now make it a point to explain that if all you want is a placeholder—a website to tell potential customers “Yes, I have a site”—I can absolutely build that for you. But if you're serious about driving traffic and growing your business, we need to talk about SEO and a comprehensive marketing strategy.
Why is SEO so important for small businesses?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your website so it can rank higher on search engines like Google. Think of your website as a digital storefront. You could have the best products or services, but if people can’t find your storefront, they won’t buy from you. That’s what SEO does—it makes sure that when potential customers search for services or products like yours, your business shows up. For a small business, this is crucial because you're competing against larger companies and local competitors with bigger marketing budgets.
Without SEO, your website is essentially invisible to search engines, meaning you're missing out on countless potential customers who are actively searching for what you offer. Ranking on the first page of Google could mean the difference between getting noticed and getting lost in the digital noise.
Moreover, SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution; it’s an ongoing strategy that evolves with search trends, your competition, and your business goals. A well-executed SEO plan not only drives traffic but also builds credibility, increases engagement, and ultimately leads to conversions. For small businesses, where every lead counts, SEO is not just an option—it's a necessity. Without it, your website is just a digital business card in a crowded online marketplace.
