Web Design in Lowell, Indiana

Lowell up close: notes for a small business website

Lowell dates from 1834, which gives it more than a century and a half of local history. Customers in an older town usually ask around first, and the website is where they confirm what a neighbor told them. Write the year you opened and the names of the people behind it on the About page; a photo of the actual storefront or crew does more than any slogan.

Homeowners dominate in Lowell (84.3% of households), and Gary is 21 miles away. A commuter town does its shopping research at night. Say clearly that you are local and name the streets and subdivisions you serve; it is the edge you have over the big city. That does not take a big website. It takes an honest one, kept up to date.

Sizing up the Lowell market

Lowell counts 4,204 households, 84.3% of them owner-occupied. The median home value is $248,000 and the median gross rent is $1,123 a month (Indiana: $218,200 and $1,062). Lowell’s median age of 39.2 compares with 38.1 across Indiana. Lowell’s median household income, $84,024, runs about 17% ahead of the state ($71,957).

Small business websites in Lowell: the local business mix

Lowell shares ZIP code 46356 with the surrounding area, where 308 employer businesses were counted in 2023. Among them:

• Finish carpentry contractors: 8. Their website should show close-up photos of cabinets, trim and built-ins, and a simple form to describe the job.
• Moving companies: 3. Their website should show local and long-distance moves, what is included and a quote request form.
• Full-service restaurants: 13. Their website should show the menu, the dining room, private-event information and the hours, kept current by email.
• Real estate offices: 8. Their website should show a page about each area you cover and an easy way for buyers and sellers to reach the right agent.
• Beauty salons: 6. Their website should show a page per service, your hours and location and a contact button for appointment requests.

Across Lake County, County Business Patterns counted 10,566 employer establishments in 2023, and the Nonemployer Statistics add 34,461 businesses with no payroll, most of them self-employed owners. 415 trucking companies operate in Lake County, twice what the national mix would predict. In that trade, shippers and brokers vet carriers; a good site gives customers lanes and regions, equipment, authority and insurance details and a quote form. 24.5% of employed residents work in education, health care and social assistance, and 17.6% in manufacturing.

Website design Lowell: start with the customer

Homeownership is high in Lowell: 84.3% of households own, against 70.6% in Indiana. That is a large market for home services that can be found online.

9.1% of Lowell residents are under 5 years old. Pediatric care, child care and family services compete hard for these parents online.

The average commute is 32.7 minutes. Many residents spend the day elsewhere and find local services online in the evening.

Seasons in Lowell, and what they do to your website

Lowell weather, in normals: July highs around 84°F, January lows around 15°F, measured at Lowell, 1.8 miles away (1991-2020). Precipitation totals about 40 inches a year, with June the wettest month. The high reaches 90°F or more on about 16 days a year. Winter reshuffles demand: snow removal, heating and ice-dam repairs in the cold months, landscaping and outdoor work the rest of the year. If you offer emergency or same-week service in bad weather, say so in plain words and make the contact form fast to fill in.

Your service area around Lowell

Within a short drive of Lowell you find Cedar Lake (5.8 miles), Schneider (6.9 miles), Crown Point (9 miles) and St. John (11 miles). There are 62 incorporated cities and towns within 25 miles of Lowell. The county seat, Crown Point, is 9 miles northeast. The nearest airport with an IATA code is Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY), 23 miles north. Lowell covers 7.0 square miles of land, about 1,688 residents per square mile. Indiana Dunes National Park lies within 30 miles of Lowell. Naming Crown Point, Schneider and the other places you cover on a service area page tells customers outside Lowell that you work there too.

Paperwork and rules for Indiana businesses online

Selling or advertising online does not change the rules, but these apply to most Lowell businesses:

• A federal rule (16 CFR Part 465) makes it unlawful to write, buy or sell fake reviews and testimonials, so the reviews on a business website have to be real. 16 CFR Part 465
• Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, businesses open to the public must make their goods and services accessible to people with disabilities, and the Justice Department’s guidance says that includes their websites. ADA.gov guidance
• Newsletters and promotions sent from your business email must include a working way to unsubscribe (16 CFR Part 316). 16 CFR Part 316

This is general information, not legal advice; check with the Indiana agencies, Lake County, the town of Lowell or an attorney.

A web designer for Lowell businesses, working online

Aria is a web design company from Curitiba, Brazil, working since 2008. There is no Aria office in Lowell, and you don’t need one: sign-up, material and approval all happen online.

1. Sign up online in about 5 minutes; the logo, photos and texts you already have go by email.
2. Your website is ready within 5 business days on a temporary link, so you can check every page before anything is published.
3. Once you approve it, the first monthly fee is issued and the website goes live on your domain.

Hosting, the SSL certificate, daily backups and security updates are on us, and content changes you send by email are included.