How a $500 Website Generated $1,000's of Dollars...

Maybe this is you…

You own a small business or you are just getting started. You know you really should get a website, but you just don’t have the time or know-how to build one – and it costs too much to hire a web designer.

Maybe later.

I hear you. Money and time are valuable assets. You don’t want to give them up unless absolutely necessary. And what if your website doesn’t attract any new customers? What if it looks horrible and is a complete waste of time? What if it looks fine, but no one ever sees it?

What if…?

Here’s the thing.

When you take all of the jobs a website can do for you and add up all of the months it is actively advertising and working for your business, you’ll find out that it is a very cheap advertising tool. You’ll be leaving money on the table simply by not using one.

Let me give you an example:

A restaurant decides to put up a website. There’s no way the owner is going to make the site himself – he’s too busy.

A fancy website can cost upwards of $10,000. A basic site usually costs between $1000 and $2000. However, this restaurant pays $500 for a simple 5-page website. The designer says she will optimize the site so that customers can find it in the search engines.

The website designer starts by listing the hours of operation, location and adding a map showing how to find the restaurant. She also posts a menu with a phone number for take-out orders and a note saying they offer free delivery for orders over $20.

Now they have less people calling for directions and more people calling in with food orders. (More orders, less busywork for the staff).

The restaurant also decides to offer a 20% off coupon, which they display on the site. Visitors can download the coupon anytime for free. All the visitor needs to do is enter his or her name and email address and agree to receive notification of future coupons and specials that the restaurant offers. (Who wouldn’t, right?)

The restaurant no longer has to pay to print and mail thousands of coupons that rarely get used. And now they are building a subscriber list (for free) of people who are interested in eating at their restaurant.

Next to the downloadable coupon, the restaurant adds some free social sharing buttons, including Facebook and Twitter. Visitors are encourage to share the website with their friends so that they can download the coupon and save money as well.

Their friends start visiting the website and downloading the coupon as well.

The restaurant owner takes photos of the restaurant. They post a picture of a large party celebrating at a table and add a note below that says, “Parties of 10 people or more receive a free special desert!”

More people start booking large parties on the weekends (probably because the people in the photo look like they are having so much fun).

The restaurant goes on to list holiday events they are hosting, happy hour specials, t-shirts customers can order through the website and more. But they have already made back their $500 a long time ago….

Find out how to get your own search engine optimized website built for you for less than $500.

For more small business ideas, visit The New Business Idea. You can also get start-up instructions for 200+ businesses and download the Home Business Start-Up Checklist free from HomeBusinesscenter.com.