Why do artisans need a website?
Before we start on the aspects of creating a website, why would an artisan need such a tool? Can only use social media and a Google My Business page be used?
Present your services
A website is the basis of your online presence. It is your dedicated place on the internet. Consequently, it is where you can gather all the vital information about your business and present your different services. Benefit from this opportunity to explain what you do and answer potential customers' questions.
Be found more easily
Another great advantage of websites is that they give you the opportunity to be found by people who use search engines. Millions of searches are made every day by millions of people. If someone is looking for a clockmaker, ceramist, or mason in their area, it would be relevant that you appear in the results.
Show examples of your work
Moreover, a website is the perfect place to show examples of your expertise. Indeed, you can add pictures of your past work, like before and after. It can also encourage people to work with you. Thus, remember to add a portfolio section to your craftsman website.
Display positive testimonials
Finally, displaying customer reviews on your artisan website could be interesting if you work in a competitive field. These testimonials can make a huge difference when a potential customer seeks a professional. It can also help the credibility of your business.
How can you create an artisan website?
Now that you know why an artisan should have a website, how do we create one? Let us present the steps to follow if you want to make a site yourself.
Analyze your business, market, and competitors
Contrary to what you may believe, the first step in the creation process of a website is not to start with the pages or texts. Whatever your field, start with an analysis of your business, its market, and competitors. What services do you offer? Who is the target audience? What do the services and websites of other companies in your field look like? The more you have information, the easier it is to create a craftsman website that stands out and represents you well.
Make a plan for your needs
For the second step, we strongly recommend you make a plan for your website. Indeed, by knowing the wanted structure in advance, you will save a lot of time when building your site and pages. What do you want to put on your craftsman website? Most websites have a homepage, an about us page, a page about the products or services, and a contact page. It is up to you to see what you need.
Choose your branding components
If it still needed to be done, choosing the different visual components of your brand image would be necessary. Your brand image is much more than your logo; it is also about the tone, style, color palette, and fonts. Please note that you should use these elements on your website and everywhere, like posters, social media, business cards, etc.
Start creating your web pages
It is only now that you can start creating the various pages of your website. We suggest you start with the homepage since it is often the first page seen by your visitors. If you are looking for a specific page structure, do not hesitate to look at WebSelf's website templates. Our website builder has several templates made especially for artisans and craftsmen.
Optimize your website
Once your pages are created and your texts written, it is not yet the time to publish your artisan website. Indeed, to increase your chances of being found on Google, you need to optimize your site first. How do we proceed? First, you need to consider the right keywords to use, the ones searched by your potential customers, and add them everywhere on your website. Second, think about the title tags, H1 titles, and meta descriptions.
Show your work to friends and family
Once everything is done, we recommend doing a few tests and checkups before publishing your website. Are all your links and buttons working? Are there any spelling mistakes? It could be relevant to show your craftsman website to friends and family to get their comments and avoid some errors.
Promote your craftsman website
Finally, it is not because your artisan website is online that you have nothing left to do. Since thousands of similar websites exist, you must remember to update yours regularly. It would help if you also took the time to promote it using advertising, social media, and partnerships. For example, why not have a blog and explain various concepts that could interest your target audience?
In conclusion, there are several advantages to having a website when you are an artisan. Besides increasing your professional credibility, it will allow you to gather all the information about your business at the same place and show examples of what you can do. Start the creation process by analyzing your services, the market, and competitors. Then, make a plan, find your visual components, and build everything!