The document discusses whether a custom website is right for a business. It outlines that nearly half of small businesses do not have a website, with top reasons being perceived irrelevance or high costs. A website can increase credibility, provide accurate business information to customers, and drive new customers through online searches. The document then reviews options for building a website, from do-it-yourself platforms to hiring a developer, and factors to consider like goals, budget, and timelines. It concludes by offering best practices for the design process.

1. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Is A Custom Website
Right For Me?

2. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
About the presenters
Jason Pawloski
Product Manager/Brand
Deluxe Custom Websites

3. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Why your Business
Needs a Website

4. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Nearly half of small businesses do not have a website, Why?
The main reasons business owners cited for not
having a website were:
• They felt that a website is not relevant to their
business or industry
• They worried that the cost of a website was too
much
Clutch.co

5. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Nearly half of small businesses do not have a website, Why?
Clutch.co

6. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
What can a website do for your business?
• A website helps to verify a business’s
existence and increase credibility
• Relay accurate information about
your business
• Bring in new customers that are
searching online

7. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
What is the Right Type of
Website for your Business?

8. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Ok, Let’s Build a Website. Where do I start?
Options for Building a Website
• Do-it-yourself website builder
• Pre-made theme or template for CMS
• Web design and development
company to build a custom website
What you choose depends on your goals
and budget

9. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
First, Establish Goals and Requirements
• What is the purpose of the
website?
• How does the website fit with
your business goals?
• Are there simple or more
complex website
requirements?

10. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Establish Goals and Requirements
• Users – Target Audience and/or internal users
• Functionality – Just information? Or do your users need to interact
with something
• Integrations – Email Marketing, CRM, Payment, etc.
• Content – Type and volume
• Design – Any special design features?
• Scalability – How will your business grow in the future?

11. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Website Building Options

12. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
DIY Web Builder
Examples: Squarespace, Wix, Weebly
Benefits
• All functions are included in the platform
• Relatively easy to easy with limited technical knowledge
• Low cost
Drawbacks
• Limited customization
• Limited scalability
• Website only exists while monthly fee is paid

13. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Templated Website
Examples: Themes for WordPress or Drupal CMS
Benefits
• More flexibility than a DIY Web Builder
• Many themes are available for different types of websites and industries
• Lower cost than custom website
Drawbacks
• Customization is limited
• Security depends on whether original designer continues to update the theme
• Could have a very similar or even exact same theme as other websites

14. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Custom Website
Examples: A Web Designer or Design/Development Company builds a custom
website to your specifications
Benefits
• Flexibility and customization
• Training, maintenance, security
• Scalability as your business grows
• Options for comprehensive SEO
Drawbacks
• Some maintenance may be required
• Higher cost

15. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Budget and Timeframe

16. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
What should I expect to pay for a custom website?
• It really depends who you work with
• There are lots of options out there, from design agencies to marketing services
specializing in custom websites
• Design agencies tend to be the most expensive, with a typical cost starting in the tens
of thousands of dollars
• Some marketing services provide agency quality design at a lower cost, starting around
five thousand dollars
• What should I look for in an agency or service?
• Samples of their work for other customers
• Do you like the websites they have designed in the past?
• How is the agency's reputation for responsiveness with their clients?
• The sooner your website is up and running, the sooner you start to see return on
your investment.
• But, don’t sacrifice quality for speed.

17. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Is a custom website worth the investment?
• Stand out in the marketplace
• The internet is crowded.
• Lots of businesses use templated websites.
• A custom website will stand out from the crowd.
• Get found more easily
• Stronger best practices for website design/development could be the difference between
better placement in search results or not.
• Increase your revenue
• Choose plugins that support your business model
• For example
• Menus and reservations
• Class and appointment scheduling
• MLS listing integration
• Coupons and shopping

18. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Website Design
Best Practices

19. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
How do I get the most out of the design process?
• Know your goals
• Come to table with all the things you want your website to do for your
business
• Share visual examples of what you want
• Your design team will know best practices and will guide you through
ideas, but it helps a lot to see a visual of what you like
• A picture is worth a thousand words
• Input and feedback are vital
• Designing a custom website is a collaborative project
• If you dislike something and don’t say anything about it, no one wins
• Feedback should be prompt, thoughtful and actionable to keep your
project timeline on track

20. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Quality over Quantity
• Don’t get carried away with too many bells and whistles
• Content should load quickly for user experience and SEO
• The site should be mobile optimized
• Customers should be able to quickly find what they are looking for
• Make pages easy to scan with bold headlines and subheadings

21. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Make your call to action strong and visible
• The best CTA’s give an incentive for your users to take actions
• Make it easy to contact you or make some other next step
• Calls to Action could include:
• Lean More (link to download a brochure, eBook, product guide, catalog, etc.
• Call Now
• Free Consultation
• Get a Price Quote
• Buy now
• Make an Appointment
• Request a Demo
• Request a Sales Call
• Sign Up (for a newsletter, email tips, or special offers)
• Follow on Social Media
• Register (for a drawing or prize)
• Visit Us (link to map)

22. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Make Branding Professional & Consistent
• Use colors that go with your logo
• Choose one or two fonts and use them consistently
• Make sure graphics or photos complement each other and look professional
• Pictures can sell your services in a persuasive way
• Professional looking photos make your website more trustworthy

23. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Keep the most Important Information “Above the Fold”
• 80% of site visitors won’t scroll down
the whole page
• Place your business name and logo in
a prominent spot
• Emphasize what you do with a strong
headline or tagline
• Use special offers to draw interest
• Summarize your services or products
using your menu bar and visuals

24. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Build Credibility & Trust
• Include samples of your work on the site
• Testimonials from happy customers
• Links to newspaper or magazine articles that have featured your business
• Awards you have received
• Logos of local or industry organizations that you belong to

25. SCORE: An Overview
Your Business Success is Our Success!
Mission:
Foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education.
Facts
• 10,000+ volunteer across more than 300 chapters across the U.S.
• Over 1 million hours of service donated by volunteers
• Since 2009*:
o 300,000+ Businesses Started
o 350,000+ Jobs Created
o 300,000+ Businesses Increased Revenue
*Source: Gallup & Price Waterhouse Cooper SCORE Client Outcomes Survey 2009 - 2013

26. Who Does SCORE Help?
Opening Growth
Research &
Planning
Pre-
Startups
Startups
Firms in Business for
a Year or More

27. Mentoring
Free. Personalized. Confidential.
Expert Advice For the Life of Your Business
Benefits of Mentoring:
• SCORE mentors provide the specific resources you need through personalized, 1-on-1
mentoring.
• Avoid timely and costly mistakes by learning from someone who’s “been there, done that”.
• Feel confident knowing you have an experienced resource available for simple questions or
more complicated strategy development.
• SCORE helps businesses start and succeed. In 2014 we helped create over 56,000 new
businesses. The next success story can be yours.

28. Online Resources
Templates. Tips. Blogs. Workshops.
Tools for Business Success Available 24/7
Get access to thousands of templates & tools, blog posts, and LIVE (and archived) webinars/workshops to
help you start and grow your business.
• Templates & Tools - Articles, assessments, outlines, templates, and other resources that you can use to learn and
implement new strategies
• SCORE LIVE Webinars - Live ,1-hour presentations by mentors and partners on a variety of small business
topics and trends
• Online Workshop – A business training module archived on score.org
• SCORE Blogs - Business experts in a number of industries share information on emerging trends and topics
facing today’s small business owner
• SCORE Newsletters – Visit www.score.org/connect to get the latest business information, tips and resources
delivered to your inbox

29. Why SCORE Works
Mentoring provides improved chances for startup and success through one-on-one business
coaching.
You Don’t Have to Go It Alone
Workshops provide training on critical topics in an
environment where you can learn from experts and
like-minded entrepreneurs.
Online Resources can be your playbook to provide
step-by-step outlines for small business strategies.

30. Get Started Today
Don’t Wait.
Visit www.score.org to:
▪ Start or grow your business
▪ Become a SCORE volunteer
Connect with Us:
▪ Text SCOREMENTORS to 22828 - get free business tools
delivered to your inbox.
▪ Visit www.score.org/connect to like and follow us on social
media

31. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.