Below you will find the answers to our most frequently asked questions:
1. WHY DOES MY SMALL BUSINESS NEED A WEBSITE?
2. WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROM THE PROCESS OF GETTING A WEBSITE FOR MY BUSINESS?
3. WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY USED FOR THE WEBSITE? WILL MY WEBSITE BE SECURE?
4. CAN I MAKE UPDATES TO MY WEBSITE MYSELF OR DO I NEED TO CONTACT YOU EVERY TIME?
5. HOW DO I GET A DOMAIN-BASED EMAIL ADDRESS?
6. CAN I ADD E-COMMERCE TO MY WEBSITE?
7. LOCAL SEO (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION)
8. CAN GOOGLE TRANSLATOR BE ADDED TO MY WEBSITE?
9. WHAT IS REPUTATION MANAGEMENT? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
10. WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
11. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVE CHAT VS CHATBOT? CAN I ADD THEM TO MY WEBSITE?
12. WHAT HAPPENS TO MY WEBSITE IF I DECIDE TO CANCEL MY SERVICE WITH KNISS WEB DESIGN?
1. WHY DOES MY SMALL BUSINESS NEED A WEBSITE?
1) Local Customers Start Their Search Online
Today’s local consumer is savvier than ever before. Looking to save time and money, consumers are turning to the internet to start their search for local products and services. Even when making offline purchases consumers will research local businesses using the internet before deciding where to shop. If your small business does not have a website, you are practically invisible to potential customers.
Consider these facts:
2) A Website Builds Credibility
What impression do you make online? When customers search online and don’t find your business it’s almost as if your company does not exist. They may pass you by to choose a competitor. It’s now expected by consumers that every creditable business has a website.
A website builds your credibility by providing an established presence online. A website provides a glimpse of your business and important information about your company that consumers are looking for. Consumers also use a website to compare to competitors so having just “any” web presence is not enough. Make sure your website is professional, user-friendly, easily accessible, and provides the proper information your potential customers are searching for.
3) A Website Saves You Time and Money
A website saves you time and energy while you tackle the everyday challenges of owning a small business. Your website provides your customers with hours of operation, menus, and information about your products and services. Let a website answer these common questions so you can focus on growing your business and spend less time on the phone talking about it.
Think of your company website as the perfect employee - it’s always on time, works 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, does exactly what you ask, provides customers with the proper information, and always promotes your brand in a positive manner. Even when you close up and go home, your website continues to work for your business and allows customers to connect with you anytime from anywhere, proving to be a cost-effective and reliable salesperson for your business 24/7.
4) A Website Keeps You in Touch with Customers
Whether your business has a website or not, customers are still talking about you online already. In the form of review sites like Yelp, directory listings, forums, and social networks like Facebook and Twitter; customers are sharing their opinion - good and bad - with the public. A website allows you to control the conversation and communicate with existing and potential customers.
While a website will not prevent a negative review, it does offer customers to ability to contact you online directly and discreetly to share their concerns. It also enables you to talk about improvements in your business and easily share them with thousands of local customers. Posting announcements and information to your website is a cost-effective tool to communicate with the public. Share photos and menus or even create specials that encourage customers to visit your website to learn more about what’s new and exciting at your small business. You may be surprised that the more positive things you share, the more positive things they will share about your business with others.
5) A Website Can Increase Sales
Many small businesses, especially service businesses argue they don’t need a website because they don’t plan to sell products online. But a website can increase in-store sales and service calls by generating leads and driving local customers to your business.
A well-built website is a great tool to connect with local consumers searching for the products or services you offer. A website allows consumers to contact you directly through your website, either through phone calls email, or in-store visits. In addition, a website can be a powerful lead generator for small businesses driving new customers to your business and increasing revenues.
Consider this:
Today’s local consumer is savvier than ever before. Looking to save time and money, consumers are turning to the internet to start their search for local products and services. Even when making offline purchases consumers will research local businesses using the internet before deciding where to shop. If your small business does not have a website, you are practically invisible to potential customers.
Consider these facts:
- 97% of consumers use the internet to shop locally. (Source: BIA/Kelsey, User View Wave VII, March 2010)
- 63% of people use the Internet as their first resource when looking for a local service or product. (Source: 2009 Webvisible/Nielsen study)
- 43% of people surveyed said they are more likely to purchase services or products from a small business with a website. (Source: Discover Small Business Watch Survey)
- Nearly half of all searches on Google or "local", which means someone is looking for a local product or service nearby
2) A Website Builds Credibility
What impression do you make online? When customers search online and don’t find your business it’s almost as if your company does not exist. They may pass you by to choose a competitor. It’s now expected by consumers that every creditable business has a website.
A website builds your credibility by providing an established presence online. A website provides a glimpse of your business and important information about your company that consumers are looking for. Consumers also use a website to compare to competitors so having just “any” web presence is not enough. Make sure your website is professional, user-friendly, easily accessible, and provides the proper information your potential customers are searching for.
3) A Website Saves You Time and Money
A website saves you time and energy while you tackle the everyday challenges of owning a small business. Your website provides your customers with hours of operation, menus, and information about your products and services. Let a website answer these common questions so you can focus on growing your business and spend less time on the phone talking about it.
Think of your company website as the perfect employee - it’s always on time, works 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, does exactly what you ask, provides customers with the proper information, and always promotes your brand in a positive manner. Even when you close up and go home, your website continues to work for your business and allows customers to connect with you anytime from anywhere, proving to be a cost-effective and reliable salesperson for your business 24/7.
4) A Website Keeps You in Touch with Customers
Whether your business has a website or not, customers are still talking about you online already. In the form of review sites like Yelp, directory listings, forums, and social networks like Facebook and Twitter; customers are sharing their opinion - good and bad - with the public. A website allows you to control the conversation and communicate with existing and potential customers.
While a website will not prevent a negative review, it does offer customers to ability to contact you online directly and discreetly to share their concerns. It also enables you to talk about improvements in your business and easily share them with thousands of local customers. Posting announcements and information to your website is a cost-effective tool to communicate with the public. Share photos and menus or even create specials that encourage customers to visit your website to learn more about what’s new and exciting at your small business. You may be surprised that the more positive things you share, the more positive things they will share about your business with others.
5) A Website Can Increase Sales
Many small businesses, especially service businesses argue they don’t need a website because they don’t plan to sell products online. But a website can increase in-store sales and service calls by generating leads and driving local customers to your business.
A well-built website is a great tool to connect with local consumers searching for the products or services you offer. A website allows consumers to contact you directly through your website, either through phone calls email, or in-store visits. In addition, a website can be a powerful lead generator for small businesses driving new customers to your business and increasing revenues.
Consider this:
- 3 out of 4 smartphone users have contacted a business they found on their phone. (Source: Google/Ipsos, "The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users," April 2011)
- Over the next three years, businesses that make use of the web expect to grow 40% faster than those that don't. (Source: BCG Report, "The Connected World: The $4.2 Trillion Opportunity," March 2012)
2. WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROM THE PROCESS OF GETTING A WEBSITE FOR MY BUSINESS?
1. Please fill out the Website Design Brief Form with some basic information about your business so we can start creating a specific Website Design for your company. Not all fields on the form are required. We only need some basic information that describes your company, your main products or services offered, and what your target audience is.
2. Website Homepage Design will be created in 2 - 3 business days.
3. We will schedule a consultation to go over the Homepage Website Design created by our team.
4. Once the design is approved, we will work on completing the other pages of the Website to your company's specifications.
5. We will inform you once the Website is ready for your Final Review.
6. Final updates will be made if necessary and once the website is approved, then we will set the website live.
2. Website Homepage Design will be created in 2 - 3 business days.
3. We will schedule a consultation to go over the Homepage Website Design created by our team.
4. Once the design is approved, we will work on completing the other pages of the Website to your company's specifications.
5. We will inform you once the Website is ready for your Final Review.
6. Final updates will be made if necessary and once the website is approved, then we will set the website live.
3. WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY USED FOR THE WEBSITE? WILL MY WEBSITE BE SECURE?
We build our sites on a proprietary website building platform that only digital agencies have access to and is specifically designed for building small business websites. We use Rackspace and AWS to provide reliable, rock-solid hosting and all of our sites include an SSL Certificate and are loaded on a 256-bit encrypted https: connection for added security.
4. CAN I MAKE UPDATES TO MY WEBSITE MYSELF OR DO I NEED TO CONTACT YOU EVERY TIME?
Yes, you can! Upon request, we are able to provide you with login credentials and a Handbook & Reference Guide to assist you in making the updates yourself.
5. HOW DO I GET A DOMAIN-BASED EMAIL ADDRESS?
Domain-based email addresses such as contact@yourdomain.com look professional and show you're serious about your business. While Kniss Web Design does not offer email hosting, there are many options available to you at a relatively low cost ($5-$10 per email address).
Here are a few options to consider:
Your Domain Registrar
Contact the company you bought your domain name from because almost all of them offer the option to add custom domain-based email addresses to your account.
Google
Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) is a popular provider of domain-based email addresses. Plus, you'll have access to Google's suite of tools which includes Gmail, YouTube, Drive and more.
Microsoft
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is another solid option that includes access to apps like Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Here are a few options to consider:
Your Domain Registrar
Contact the company you bought your domain name from because almost all of them offer the option to add custom domain-based email addresses to your account.
Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) is a popular provider of domain-based email addresses. Plus, you'll have access to Google's suite of tools which includes Gmail, YouTube, Drive and more.
Microsoft
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is another solid option that includes access to apps like Outlook, Word, and Excel.
6. CAN I ADD E-COMMERCE TO MY WEBSITE?
Yes, we are able to offer different types of e-commerce solutions for your company website! Please contact us for more information.
7. LOCAL SEO (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION)
With nearly 2 billion websites on the internet, it’s always been a challenge for small businesses to stand out online. There is competition everywhere, from other local mom-and-pop shops in your area to big box stores to online-only retailers. On top of that, tens of thousands of new websites are launched every single day, adding to this ever-growing list.
Oftentimes it can feel impossible for a small, local business to compete online. However, thanks to changes in search algorithms, small businesses now have a better chance of coming up in local search results by implementing some basic SEO techniques.
So What is Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?
Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in relevant search results on sites like Google and Bing. In other words, it’s things you can do to help your website show up when customers search for your business or the products or services you offer, in the area you serve.
SEO encompasses a wide range of tactics and best practices that start with creating a user-friendly and mobile-optimized website, writing search-friendly content, and including the proper meta tags for each page of your website. But SEO also extends beyond your website and includes everything and anything you do to establish a strong online presence for your brand.
How do search engines work?
In order to properly optimize a website for search, it’s important to understand how search engines actually work. Search engines like Google use robots that crawl web pages all across the internet to determine what content they contain. Once they’ve gathered enough information, they add these pages to their index. When a customer performs a search, Google then uses their proprietary algorithms to find the best match in their index of web pages.
It’s important to note that Google does not release specifics about their algorithm and therefore it is impossible to know for sure exactly how each and every SEO strategy is taken into consideration. But over the last 15 years, studies have been done to determine what some of the best practices are for local SEO, which helps support many of these suggestions. That’s why it’s important to always follow best practices and implement various techniques to help improve a site’s search engine performance.
Our team will add the Basic Local SEO to your website free of charge.
Oftentimes it can feel impossible for a small, local business to compete online. However, thanks to changes in search algorithms, small businesses now have a better chance of coming up in local search results by implementing some basic SEO techniques.
So What is Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?
Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in relevant search results on sites like Google and Bing. In other words, it’s things you can do to help your website show up when customers search for your business or the products or services you offer, in the area you serve.
SEO encompasses a wide range of tactics and best practices that start with creating a user-friendly and mobile-optimized website, writing search-friendly content, and including the proper meta tags for each page of your website. But SEO also extends beyond your website and includes everything and anything you do to establish a strong online presence for your brand.
How do search engines work?
In order to properly optimize a website for search, it’s important to understand how search engines actually work. Search engines like Google use robots that crawl web pages all across the internet to determine what content they contain. Once they’ve gathered enough information, they add these pages to their index. When a customer performs a search, Google then uses their proprietary algorithms to find the best match in their index of web pages.
It’s important to note that Google does not release specifics about their algorithm and therefore it is impossible to know for sure exactly how each and every SEO strategy is taken into consideration. But over the last 15 years, studies have been done to determine what some of the best practices are for local SEO, which helps support many of these suggestions. That’s why it’s important to always follow best practices and implement various techniques to help improve a site’s search engine performance.
Our team will add the Basic Local SEO to your website free of charge.
8. CAN GOOGLE TRANSLATOR BE ADDED TO MY WEBSITE?
Yes, we are able to add the Google Translator Tool that allows your website visitors to convert the content of your website from English to their preferred language upon request.
9. WHAT IS REPUTATION MANAGEMENT? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
In today’s highly competitive market, online customer reviews are more important than ever for businesses large and small. What customers are saying about a business has a direct impact on sales. In fact, the majority of consumers will read online reviews before making a purchase decision and most customers will only choose a business that has 4 or more stars. Maintaining a positive online reputation on sites like Google, Yelp and Facebook is something businesses can’t afford to ignore.
Our Reputation Management feature helps your small business keep track of customer reviews and improve their online reputation by generating more positive reviews and even preventing negative reviews. It’s the type of service that every business can benefit from, regardless of industry, size or location. Because it has mass appeal, Facebook can be an extremely effective way to generate leads and acquire clients.
We can generate a free sample of your personalized Reputation Management report that includes all of your company's customer reviews from the top review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. In addition, it offers powerful insight into key metrics such as average star rating, total reviews, reviews by star rating, and more.
Should you wish to receive a Daily Reputation Management report, there will be an extra fee for this service. Please contact us for more information.
Our Reputation Management feature helps your small business keep track of customer reviews and improve their online reputation by generating more positive reviews and even preventing negative reviews. It’s the type of service that every business can benefit from, regardless of industry, size or location. Because it has mass appeal, Facebook can be an extremely effective way to generate leads and acquire clients.
We can generate a free sample of your personalized Reputation Management report that includes all of your company's customer reviews from the top review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. In addition, it offers powerful insight into key metrics such as average star rating, total reviews, reviews by star rating, and more.
Should you wish to receive a Daily Reputation Management report, there will be an extra fee for this service. Please contact us for more information.
10. WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) protects the rights of individuals with disabilities and helps ensure that "places of public accommodation," including websites, are accessible to anyone including people with disabilities. While there are currently no exact prescriptions for making your website 100% ADA compliant there are several things you can do to help protect yourself from legal liability and improve your website's accessibility.
One preventive measure suggested is to install either the UserWay Website Accessibility Widget or the EqualWeb Accessibility Widget on your website.
Should you need further information, do not hesitate to contact us.
One preventive measure suggested is to install either the UserWay Website Accessibility Widget or the EqualWeb Accessibility Widget on your website.
Should you need further information, do not hesitate to contact us.
11. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVE CHAT VS CHATBOT? CAN I ADD THEM TO MY WEBSITE?
The biggest difference between the two is that live chat relies on human-to-human communication, while chatbots utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence) or MI (Machine Learning) to simulate human conversation when interacting with an end-user.
Both chat options typically appear in the form of a "widget" on the bottom corner of a website. When a customer visits a website, they can initiate a conversation by typing into the chatbox. Live chat will connect them with a real person who will be able to assist them. Chatbots, on the other hand, provide pre-programmed answers to common questions.
So which one should you choose? There are several factors to consider when deciding between live chat and chatbots.
1. Availability of Human Resources
For larger companies or those that have a dedicated sales/support team, live chat is a great option. It allows your team to connect with customers on your website and have personalized 1-on-1 conversations. Live chat can keep help keep your team productive during slow periods and better assist website visitors who have questions or concerns.
However, for small businesses with limited staff, chatbots are often a better solution since it does not require a real human to answer questions. In that sense, chatbots can be more cost-effective than live chat.
2. Complexity of Questions
For difficult questions, live chat is a clear winner. Because live chat utilizes a real human, it's, therefore, more capable of handling complex or unique questions that a customer might ask and there is really no limit to the level of support they can provide. Live chat offers agents the ability to research answers prior to responding, ask for additional details from the customer, or even speak to another agent to get the right answer. If your business handles a lot of complex customer issues that require personal attention then live chat is a better solution.
If your company handles mostly technical questions or issues that affect the majority of your customers the same way, chatbots will do the trick. Chatbots are excellent and the most efficient for handling simple, repetitive, or common questions that can easily be answered.
3. Response Time & Availability
Let's face it, customers often choose to communicate via chat because they want an immediate answer to their questions. In general, chatbots offer faster response times and greater availability.
Because live chat requires a human agent to communicate with a customer, interaction is limited to the number of agents who are working at the moment. Unless you have an agent working around the clock, you can only offer live chat during specific times of the day. Also, one agent can only handle a few chats at a time. If you experience a high volume of customer questions, you will need to hire more agents to support your customers.
When a chatbot is installed on a website, it can instantly answer multiple customer questions at one time. Customers don't need to wait for an agent to be available or to respond. Chatbots also work 24/7 without the need for a human agent, so you can provide support any time of the day.
Popular Live Chat and Chatbot Vendors
Here are just a handful of popular live chat and chatbot software vendors:
The Bottom Line
Live chat and chatbots can be incredibly helpful for customers across practically all industries, and the technology is only getting better with each passing year. There are advantages to both live chat and chatbots solutions. Deciding between the two will require you to determine which features are most important for your individual business. Some companies will even incorporate both live chat and chatbots since each has its own strong points and they can coexist and complement each other.
Both chat options typically appear in the form of a "widget" on the bottom corner of a website. When a customer visits a website, they can initiate a conversation by typing into the chatbox. Live chat will connect them with a real person who will be able to assist them. Chatbots, on the other hand, provide pre-programmed answers to common questions.
So which one should you choose? There are several factors to consider when deciding between live chat and chatbots.
1. Availability of Human Resources
For larger companies or those that have a dedicated sales/support team, live chat is a great option. It allows your team to connect with customers on your website and have personalized 1-on-1 conversations. Live chat can keep help keep your team productive during slow periods and better assist website visitors who have questions or concerns.
However, for small businesses with limited staff, chatbots are often a better solution since it does not require a real human to answer questions. In that sense, chatbots can be more cost-effective than live chat.
2. Complexity of Questions
For difficult questions, live chat is a clear winner. Because live chat utilizes a real human, it's, therefore, more capable of handling complex or unique questions that a customer might ask and there is really no limit to the level of support they can provide. Live chat offers agents the ability to research answers prior to responding, ask for additional details from the customer, or even speak to another agent to get the right answer. If your business handles a lot of complex customer issues that require personal attention then live chat is a better solution.
If your company handles mostly technical questions or issues that affect the majority of your customers the same way, chatbots will do the trick. Chatbots are excellent and the most efficient for handling simple, repetitive, or common questions that can easily be answered.
3. Response Time & Availability
Let's face it, customers often choose to communicate via chat because they want an immediate answer to their questions. In general, chatbots offer faster response times and greater availability.
Because live chat requires a human agent to communicate with a customer, interaction is limited to the number of agents who are working at the moment. Unless you have an agent working around the clock, you can only offer live chat during specific times of the day. Also, one agent can only handle a few chats at a time. If you experience a high volume of customer questions, you will need to hire more agents to support your customers.
When a chatbot is installed on a website, it can instantly answer multiple customer questions at one time. Customers don't need to wait for an agent to be available or to respond. Chatbots also work 24/7 without the need for a human agent, so you can provide support any time of the day.
Popular Live Chat and Chatbot Vendors
Here are just a handful of popular live chat and chatbot software vendors:
- Olark (Live Chat)
- LiveChat (Live Chat)
- Facebook Messenger Chat Plugin (Live Chat)
- Freshchat (Live Chat & Chatbot)
- Talk.to (Live Chat)
- Intercom (Live Chat & Chatbot)
- Drift (Live Chat & Chatbot)
- Tidio (Live Chat & Chatbot)
- Chatbot (Chatbot)
- Landbot (Chatbot)
- Snatchbot (Chatbot)
- ManyChat (Chatbot)
- Acquire (Live Chat & Chatbot)
The Bottom Line
Live chat and chatbots can be incredibly helpful for customers across practically all industries, and the technology is only getting better with each passing year. There are advantages to both live chat and chatbots solutions. Deciding between the two will require you to determine which features are most important for your individual business. Some companies will even incorporate both live chat and chatbots since each has its own strong points and they can coexist and complement each other.
12. WHAT HAPPENS TO MY WEBSITE IF I DECIDE TO CANCEL MY SERVICE WITH KNISS WEB DESIGN?
At the time of cancellation, your website will come offline. If you would like to move your website elsewhere, you are free to download any images and content from your website and rebuild it on the platform of your choice.