If you've ever wondered, "Do I need a website for my small business?" - today's show is for you. Your website is the headquarters of your business – even if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar shop. It’s the cog off of which everything else for your business connects and expands. It wasn’t like this in years past. But now, an online presence is essential. And make no mistake about it – your own website is what you should strive for. It's great to have a shop on Etsy or sell through Amazon. But long term, you want your own self-controlled site for the most stable business structure. So, today we’re talking in depth about websites. Including the most important first question to answer before you even go one step further. Chase Clymer is the Co-founder at Electric Eye where he and his team create Shopify-powered sales machines from strategic design, development, and marketing decisions. He’s also the host of Honest eCommerce, a weekly podcast that provides online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business. The Answer To, "Do I Need A Website For My Small Business?" The biggest eCommerce challenge is finding product/market fit. Just opening a shop does not mean you have a viable business. Find out if the market wants to buy your product. Your product must solve your ideal customer's problem or fulfill their desire. Validating your product is crucial. Until you confirm that strangers will give you money for your product you have not validated your product. You have a business when that product is selling and paying your bills. The market share you could get from selling a validated product online is massive. If your goal is to increase your sales on your home base, you need to make a reason for people to go to your website. It’s easier when your product resonates with your audience. Keep your navigation simple. The only things on the topline navigation should be the things that make you money. If your site doesn't allow me to get to the product I need as fast as I want to, I'll go to another website. Performance is crucial. The faster your website is, the higher your conversion rate is. Use an off-the-shelf theme for Shopify unless you're making $1m or more. Once you pass that milestone, it will be worth the investment for a custom theme. Don't trust themes that aren't on the Shopify theme store! Listen to the full conversation for more answers to do I need a website for my small business! More Ideas To Market Your Handmade Product Business Explore other avenues for marketing. Don't have all your eggs in one basket. Utilize other marketplaces (like Etsy and Amazon) to make more sales plus drive traffic to your website. Market to your customer in a way that they want to hear from you. Sending text messages is more personal and it's also noticeable. Keep the frequency lower on SMS vs email. <- Tune in to get much more detail on text marketing! Automations are crucial in eCommerce so you can send your custom-tailored messages specific to their unique customer journey. People are curious about who makes the products. Your about page should tell your story and why you're unique. Get the word out about your product.  Get it in front of more people in a way that's scalable. Getting a potential customer’s email or phone number is valuable to a business. You have to communicate with them. Listen to the episode to get all the ideas about marketing your handmade product business!  Resources Mentioned Last chance to Apply for Makers MBA (closes end of day Feb 26) Join the waitlist for the next Makers MBA session Chase's Contact Links Website  | Twitter | LinkedIn | Podcast Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community Become a Member of Gift Biz Breeze If you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you automatically get the next episode downloaded for your convenience. Click on your preferred platform below to get started. Also, if you'd like to do me a huge favor - please leave a review. It helps other creators like you find the show and build their businesses too. You can do so right here: Rate This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify Thank you so much! Sue Know someone who needs to hear this episode? Click a button below to share it!