Tips For Small Businesses to Beat the Recession

As small businesses battle to survive the economic downturn, Activ Web Design offer some workable and affordable tips to help SMEs get their website into shape in order to add value and increase more online business.

Don’t look at a website as just an online brochure about your company, look at it as a marketing tool for your business, a marketing tool that will benefit your business in 3 ways:

- It will save your business money,
- It will make your business money
- And it will save your business time,

What SME doesn’t need a marketing tool that will do all of the above!

What amazes us here at Activ is the number of small businesses that DO NOT have a website, but don’t take our word for it, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has conducted its regular report into the opinions of UK business owners which reveals that just over a quarter (28 per cent) did not have a website and some 37 per cent did not have access to fast broadband, particularly in rural areas. The FSB is urging broadband providers to offer a uniform service around the country, and small businesses are being advised to make their investments in IT - such as websites - during this downturn count.

Simon Rickett co -founder of Activ Web Design, is confident that his network of local advisors across the UK can offer a real lifeline to many of the 13.5million people who work in small businesses around the country. He explains: "With traditional businesses suffering the worst of the recession, this is a great time for businesses to identify cost effective marketing tools, particularly those who can swiftly adapt and add value to their clients. Having a website used to be a bit of a status symbol to small businesses, but in today’s business market, it's essential.

But a website needn't break the bank, many small businesses think that getting online costs thousands.

Our fixed pricing structure of £499 covers everything you need to get online, with an annual renewal fee of £150, sets us apart from other web designers! That is all you will pay and a local advisor will do all the technical aspects, so the whole process is pretty straight forward. We will get you online in no time at all (usually days not weeks), with a website that WILL work for your business”.

Susan Hughes from Access to Buisness in Wolverhampton says this about Activ Web Design "We were all very pleased with our website here at Access to Business. The best thing about the process was that we didn't have to do much! We provided information and this was turned into a website. It was a very easy process.”

Activ Web offer SMEs the following advice...

Your Website Should Work Hard for you and your business

In the competitive market that small businesses face today, your website is your shop window to the world. You can tap into a global market that uses search engines to find products and services like yours. Your customers are web savvy, you should be too!

As a result of this it will:

- Save a business money
- Save a business time
- Make a business money

Don’t take our word for it, one of our satisfied customers, Gregorio Cottone, from La Torre Restaurant in Coalville says: "We are delighted with our website which has already paid for itself. We used to post out our Christmas menu but this year have saved on printing & postage costs by referring customers to our website, customers check out the website and ring back instantly to book. we will definitely use Activ for any further websites in the future”.