Come close, I have a secret to share with you …
Not every business needs a website.
What!? Blasphemy! What kind of web designer am I?!
The minimalist kind that doesn’t like to sell people things they don’t need.
But. (You knew there was a but, right?)
If you are doing business in today’s world, a web presence is a MUST. Especially post-pandemic.
And while social media is nice, and a great way to let people know about your business, it’s not YOURS.
Meaning, a platform could close down, or change metrics so your customers no longer see your posts (as they do, frequently), or they could close your account if they don’t like something you say (it happens).
What many businesses need is something between a social media platform and a full-fledged website.
EVERY business needs, at a minimum, a place of their own online that tells customers:
Who they are (what they offer)
Where they are (location)
How to do business with them (how to order, business hours, special instructions, etc.)
And, if they’re on their marketing game, they’ll also have a way to collect lead information (via an email newsletter optin form).
I’ve encountered many local businesses who have nothing more than a Facebook page whose last post was in November 2018.
Or, they have a site that was thrown together on a DIY site builder, only it’s not complete because whoever was building it clearly got frustrated and quit. Most of them have nothing.
And the frustration I hear when I ask those business owners if they have a website is that they just don’t know how to go about setting it up, but they also don’t have thousands of dollars to pay someone else to do it.
Introducing Tiny Sites.
I created Tiny Sites as a solution for business owners who fall into this category.
Tiny Sites are ideal for:
Personal services (hair stylists, tattoo artists/shops, personal trainers, etc.)
Let people know who you are, what you offer and how they can do business with you.
Restaurants
Please, for the love of all that is holy, put your menu online. No really, make it as easy as possible for people to see what you offer.
Also let them know where you are, your hours and the best way to order.
Small shops/farms
One or two pages with a blog is a great option for businesses that have changing product offerings. Let them know who you are, what you offer and give a way to get on your mailing list to be notified about drop dates and current product offerings. Post current offerings on the blog with instructions to order so it can easily be shared via email and social media.
A Tiny Site is probably NOT for you if you are looking for:
Flashy: I’m a minimalist who specializes in clean, simple (and pretty, if you will) design. If you require lots of coding for flashy stuff or want music to play when someone lands on your site, this is not for you.
Ecommerce: if you need to sell things online, you’ll need a full website with that capability.
Memberships: If you want to have a membership site where people can login, you’ll need more than a tiny site.
Multiple pages: If you have a lot of content to share that will take multiple pages, you’ll need a full-fledged website.
Super low budget: While Tiny Sites are meant to be affordable, it’s still an investment (starting at $1250). It also requires renewing your domain annually, monthly hosting to keep your site running and I strongly recommend a maintenance plan to make sure it doesn’t break.
So, what’s included with Tiny Sites?
- WordPress website install and setup
- Mobile-friendly theme
- Customized colors and fonts (matched to your brand)
- Customized web page(s)
- Newsletter optin integration
- Links to social media
- Optional: Blog integration (with a how-to video for posting blogs if you choose this option)
Pricing
Your site can include one longer page, two shorter pages and an optional blog.
One page
If we can put everything you need to share on one page, this is the option for you.
Note: this will work for most people.
Two pages
Need a little more room to share what you’ve got? This is your option.
If you’re a restaurant, the second page would be a great place to upload your menu.
Blog integration
A blog is great if you want to share regular updates with your customers.
+$250