You know full well that there are countless customers online who are eager to learn about your company, your profession, your products, or, as the current buzzword calls it, "your excellence." You need a professional company website. You've tried with a Facebook page, but you haven't seen firsthand the business that dear Zuckerberg has built an empire on. You think about the competition, those companies that have been online for years, perhaps by typing the name of your flagship product or service. So, the time has come to enter the trenches and fight on equal terms: you absolutely must get a website!

Before embarking on a marathon search for the best quote, or even worse, picking up a pencil and starting to draw lines like a demented seismograph, stop and take a breath. You know your industry inside out, you've navigated its challenges, and you're aware of the untapped business opportunities. Don't focus on colors or specific features your web presence needs; now's not the time. Click here for Web Design in Calgary Canada

Study the competition and learn from their mistakes

Visit your direct competitors' websites and, with a few small adjustments, you'll gain the knowledge to best guide your choice for a modern, professional, and functional website for your business. It's not about stealing other people's ideas or undermining the originality of those who came before, but rather learning from their talent.

1. First impressions are what count:

We navigate by sight, aware that the internet is vast and that information isn't always found on the same site. For this reason, we bounce from one link to another. Sometimes we instinctively change pages because we just don't like that site, it doesn't inspire trust, and we decide it's better to go elsewhere. 

The same thing happens in your industry, and first impressions count. Visit your competitors' websites and take a quick look around. They're most likely entrepreneurs and professionals you know personally, or at least you know a lot about them in terms of their company mission, target customer base, and market position.

• What's the first thing that strikes you when you visit their homepage?
• Does their online image do them justice?
• Do they clearly communicate the services they offer?
• Is there something that makes them unique and worthy of attention?

2. Take everything away from me except mobile:

There are companies that, in times past, invested heavily in the web. For some, having a website was almost a status symbol, a clear message that we are the industry leaders and, as such, we are in step with the times. Technology is unstoppable, or at least that's how it seems, providing tech solutions in every aspect of our daily lives. Small businesses struggle to keep up with this pace, so they should focus on the major revolutions that have occurred. Today, it's unthinkable to ignore mobile. A website that doesn't offer full compatibility with mobile devices is a real own goal. Users are looking for a seamless browsing experience, and constantly zooming in and out on a smartphone certainly isn't that.

Check your competitors' websites on your smartphone and tablet; Google will automatically highlight the mobile-friendly ones.

Does your competitors have a mobile-compatible website?

Can I easily access all the information from my mobile device?

Is the contact information clearly stated?

3. Is anyone home?

The web attracts all kinds of information, and people can never get enough. They want to be able to read up on any event in real time, and social media is a prime tool for disseminating content.