Too often, businesses create their website as if it’s an online advert, only designed to drum up business. In reality, a website can be much more than a marketing tool, it can help you run your business more efficiently, and help you save money. Why waste money on hiring or outsourcing for your company’s admin, when it can all be done simply and securely via your website?

The best way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your business website is to think of it as an all-in-one software solution to manage your business from a single dashboard. Using cloud technology, you can simplify your business processes and save money, just by using your website as you would use a bespoke piece of business software.

If you have used an advanced website builder to create your website, you’ll be able to use these simple and effective management tools to improve your business processes:

Built-in contact list

With a built-in contact list (customer database) system, you can store and manage your customer contacts and emails through your website. Securely store your address book, and add bespoke notes for each entry so you can quickly pull up each customer’s history. You won't risk losing your customer book or having someone gain unauthorised access to your most valuable asset.

Email marketing tools

A simple email marketing tool that is integrated with your customer contacts will enable you to communicate with your customers promptly and very cost-effectively.  You will eliminate printing/postage expenses as well as the time and hassle of sending letters by post.

Bespoke contact forms

When you create your website, go one step further than the traditional online forms and prompt  your customers with questions that will help you respond with a more meaningful answer. For example, a recruiting firm could ask for some basic screening info and request a user to upload their CV to avoid lengthy back and forth correspondence.  You could also automate your Request for Quote (RFQ) process by simply asking the right questions.

Booking

Do you take bookings online? These can be managed through your website dashboard. Set up your different services, resources rendering those services and their availability.  A booking system will alert you when your customers have booked your services. It’s far more cost-effective than having to hire administrative help to handle bookings and it’s more secure than using a paper appointments book.

Videos

Add how-to videos to your website and FAQs to provide your customers with self service answers to the most common questions. This will free up your staff to handle the more pressing customer queries while minimising overheads. You would be surprised how many queries you could eliminate by just making help info more easily accessible. If done right, help videos and content could be easily found via google search.

Portfolio

Organise all your project work online to showcase your skills and experience through your past work. This eliminates the need to print and post glossy brochures to your prospects. A web-based portfolio can also be kept up-to-date at no cost and easily shared with a wider target audience online at little or no cost.