Debunking Yola Myths – Part 2

Last week we took you through four common misconceptions about Yola. In this post, we have compiled four more myths and put some tips together to help you get the most out of your website.

Myth #5 – “I don’t need a website, my Facebook business page or Etsy store is enough of an online presence for me.”
Although many small businesses opt for an Etsy store or Facebook page, it is still important to use these in conjunction with a website of your own. Here are a few reasons why having your own website is so imperative:

1. Have a professional appearance – If prospective customers have heard about your business, they will likely search for it online to make sure it’s legitimate. A polished website helps your business look more credible and will instill trust in potential customers.
2. Share your story – Unlike a Facebook page, you’re not restricted in how much information you share with your customers or where you show it. A website allows you to give some background about your business and lets you share your story with customers. Your site will be able to display videos and images that are always visible to your customers and can provide supporting documentation that may be helpful in the decision making process.
3. Build your brand – One of the major benefits of a website is that it can be designed to wholly reflect your brand. In owning your own website, all aspects are within your control and can be customized as you desire with no additional branding on the page competing against your own.
4. Grow your customer database – Unlike Facebook and Etsy, collecting information about your customers is easy with a website. One of the best ways to get to know your customers is to add an email sign up form to your website, allowing both existing and prospective customers to sign up to receive offers, newsletters and any other pertinent information. This kind of direct communication is a great way to encourage new and repeat purchases.
5. Write a blog – One of the best ways to increase exposure and initiate conversation with your customers is to start a blog. This can easily be integrated with your website and is a great way to give a your business a voice.
6. Take control – One major advantage of owning a website is having complete control. Small changes made to the way Facebook or Etsy displays your business or changes in transaction fees could have a devastating effect on your sales. As a small business where risk is already high, minimizing any uncertainty and having full control over your online presence is a very good idea.

Myth #6 – “You need a web developer to build a website.”
Site builders like Yola aim to make it easy for people to build a website themselves – no tech experience necessary. At Yola, we’ve made it super easy to create your site with our Style Designer. With the help of this innovative tool, you can create a completely customized website by dragging and dropping all the items you want on your pages and without having to edit a single piece of code. Check out these great looking websites built using Yola’s Style Designer:

Myth #7 – “My website won’t look good on smartphones and tablets.”
With mobile usage being a key trend in 2014, it’s no surprise that you’re concerned with how your website looks on a mobile device.

At Yola, we offer Mobile Publishing as a premium feature, allowing you to easily optimize your website for mobile in just a couple of clicks. If a person searches on their mobile device for your business, he will likely want to take immediate action. For example, he may want to visit your storefront or give you a call. With our Mobile Publishing feature, your website visitors can easily do both with the clearly displayed Call button and Map button on mobile websites.

Myth #8 – “You need to pay a lot more to get a full-featured online store.”
Many people are still under the impression that in order to have an online store with a wide range of functionality, you need a custom built online store that will eat up much of your budget. We offer an e-commerce solution that allows you to create a fully functioning online store yourself at a low cost.

Getting your store up and running is easy, and not just restricted to tangible products – you can sell ebooks, music, classes or even consultation sessions. Our online store is integrated with many different payment gateways, allowing a variety of different purchasing options.

It also contains advanced functionality that you may have thought would have been reserved for larger e-commerce sites, such as the ability to link your store to your Facebook business page or to offer tiered pricing and coupon incentives. You can even manage your store from your smartphone!

We have many more myths to debunk – make sure to check back after the holidays for our final post in the series!