Here at Six Ticks we specialise in providing affordable, professional websites for small-to-medium sized businesses (SMEs). We are passionate about helping our clients to find great IT solutions at affordable rates and we thought we'd take this opportunity to tell you why having a professional website is so important.

Your time and money is precious, so why spend it on a new website?

We have worked with over 100 small-to- medium sized businesses and we understand that it can be difficult to focus on "digital" when you have an endless list of priorities, with staff and suppliers knocking on your door, and you don't even have time for a cuppa!

But, by not investing in a professional, modern website you could be missing huge opportunities to:

• save yourself time and money
• secure new customers
• and move your business forward

Here are our top 5 reasons to invest in a professionally built website:

1. What does your website say about you?

   We all know that in business, as in all walks of life, first impressions can be key.

   Today your website is very often the first interaction a customer will have with your business. In the click-happy world we live in, it is vital that your website is modern, quick, secure, easy-to-use, and reflects your company ethos.

   Having a slow, out-of-date, difficult to navigate website, can lead customers to doubt your company's credibility, feel frustrated, lose interest quickly, and move onto the next website before you've even had the chance to tell them how great you are!

   A modern website designed just for you will give you the chance to show your prospects what you're all about and provide that priceless first impression that will knock your customer's socks off!

2. Provide features your customers want

   You're a customer. You're browsing the internet. You find a website that sells the exact product or service you want. You spend a frustrating 15 minutes scouring the site but can't find out if it's in stock, or worse, it is in stock but there is no online shop and you can't order it! There is a phone number, but that would involve speaking to an actual person! Maybe you'll just check another site first...

   A great website should be easy to use and provide features which turn site browsers into customers! A Six Ticks website can offer great functions such as online booking, appointments, live availability, or an online shop, giving your customers the chance to access your product instantly! Don't give them an opportunity to go somewhere else, give them what they want, when they want it!

   And that's just the beginning. How about a website with these great features?!

   - Interactive location maps - check
   - Easy contact forms - check
   - Blogs - check
   - Social media links - check
   - Newsletter/mailing list sign up - check
   - Mobile friendly site - check
   - Online payments - check
   - Integrated CRM - check

   All these features can help your customers to have a great experience and keep coming back time and time again!

3. A great website can do amazing things for your company!

   Websites aren't just one dimensional information bulletins. Behind the scenes, websites can do amazing things for your company and save you time and money!

   Customer Relationship Management (or CRM) is now being widely embraced by small-to-medium sized businesses and at Six Ticks we can integrate your website seamlessly. In-fact you can manage your website and CRM via the same system! CRM may be something you haven't come across before, but it is easy to integrate and a great way to increase sales.

   Wish your customer a happy birthday with a discount code, remind them they haven't ordered for a while, or that their favourite product is on sale... these are just a few examples of what CRM can do for you!

   In simple terms, it's an intuitive customer database which helps you to move your business forward by creating a closer understanding and relationship with your customers, making your customer service and marketing more targeted and effective.

   And forget about those endless lists, data entry, and spreadsheets. CRM can and will change the way you enter, store and manage information, saving your entire team time and increasing sales!

4. Security is key

   SSL certificates, nightly data back-ups, secure hosting; does your current website have these? Do you know where your website data is hosted and what will happen to your data if your website crashes?

   Security is the number one priority for many businesses and your website should be no different. Six Ticks offer securely hosted websites, so you can stop worrying about security and focus on your business.

5. A SEO friendly website

   You may think that your business is too small to worry about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) but think again!

   Ensuring your website is 'mates with Google' can be key to increasing business. Think of it this way - if people can't find you then they can't use your services!

   Having a website which is developed with SEO friendly code and features will help you to feature higher up in search engine rankings when people are searching specifically for the services or products you offer. And think of it this way - if you are SEO Savvy and your competitors aren't then your website will feature before theirs which could mean that dozens of new customers come to you first!

   All of Six Ticks' websites are SEO friendly and are designed to help boost your search engine ranking.

   So what do I do next?

Here at Six Ticks we know that, for some, IT can be a little overwhelming and the jargon can leave you scratching your head. But the good news is we are friendly, jargon-free folk who love to chat and discover what your business is all about and how we can help you.

Our custom built websites start from £500. So why not grab a cup of tea and give us a call now to chat about how we could help you!