Web Design in Solon, Iowa

Why a Solon website can’t be generic

Young children are a big part of Solon: 5.0% of residents are under 5, and 30.0% are under 18. Parents decide fast, on a phone, and they look for three things: price, schedule and whether you are good with kids. Real photos of the place and the staff and your rules in plain words answer what parents worry about.

The Solon business count, sector by sector

The Census counted 167 establishments with employees in 2023 in ZIP code 52333, which includes Solon and its surroundings. Some of the businesses behind that number:

• 3 masonry contractors: pavers, block and stone work shown in real photos, plus the towns you cover and a quote form.
• 7 full-service restaurants: a menu page you can update by email, your hours and a map, plus a contact form for events and large groups.
• 5 real estate offices: a page about each area you cover and an easy way for buyers and sellers to reach the right agent.
• 4 child care centers: programs by age, daily routine, your hours and a form for families who want to visit.
• 3 auto repair shops: certifications, warranty terms in plain words and a contact form for estimates.

In Johnson County, the Census counted 3,490 businesses with employees and 11,732 without a payroll in 2023; the second group is where a simple, affordable website changes the most. Johnson County has 1.9 times the national share of nursing and residential care facilities: 74 of them in the 2023 count. In that line of work, families research care for a relative, so the website should show levels of care, photos of the facility, licensing information and how to arrange a visit. Among Solon residents who work, the largest fields are arts, entertainment, recreation, lodging and food service (11.5%) and retail trade (8.7%). For any of them, a clear website is the difference between being compared and being skipped.

Your Solon audience

Government jobs account for 22.0% of employed residents. Stable government payrolls support steady local spending on services. Roots run deep here, with 83.9% of residents born in Iowa. Reputation travels by word of mouth here, and the website is where a recommendation gets checked.

79.2% of households own their home, above Iowa’s 71.7%. That is a large market for home services that can be found online.

A year of weather in Solon

Solon weather, in normals: July highs around 86°F, January lows around 15°F, measured at Iowa City Municipal Airport, 12 miles away (1991-2020). Precipitation totals about 36 inches a year, with June the wettest month. About 19 days a year hit 90°F or more. Cold winters mean heating calls, snow plowing and winter car trouble, and the first freeze sends everyone searching at once. Put your seasonal services on their own page, so the right page is there when the weather turns.

The roads, towns and places around Solon

Distances from Solon: Ely (6.8 miles northwest), North Liberty (7.3 miles southwest) and Shueyville (8.3 miles west). Johnson County’s county seat is Iowa City, 11 miles to the south. With 2,013 residents per square mile on 1.7 square miles of land, Solon is moderately dense by Iowa standards. A 25-mile radius around Solon takes in 39 other municipalities. For flights, The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) lies 12 miles away. Naming North Liberty, Mount Vernon and the other places you cover on a service area page tells customers outside Solon that you work there too.

Solon is one of 12 municipalities in Johnson County, a county of 160,044 people.

How big is the Solon market?

Housing costs: a median home value of $309,400 and a median rent of $1,127 a month, against $208,000 and $972 in Iowa. Of the 1,144 households in Solon, 79.2% are homeowners. The median age is 38.8, against 38.6 for Iowa.

Small business website, start to finish

Aria is a web design company based in Curitiba, Brazil, building websites, online stores and business email since 2008. There is no Aria office in Solon, and you don’t need one: sign-up, material and approval all happen online.

1. Fill in the sign-up form (about 5 minutes) and send your material by email.
2. Within 5 business days you get a temporary link with the whole website, built on a proven template with your brand.
3. Ask for adjustments by email, approve, and after the first monthly fee the site goes live on your domain.

Later on, you send changes by email (a new price, a new photo, a new service) and the team makes them, with no extra charge.

Rules that apply to a Solon business website

Selling or advertising online brings no special license, but a few apply to many Solon businesses:

• A person who runs a business under a trade name instead of the owner’s own surname records a verified statement with the county recorder of the county where the business is conducted. Entities already registered with the state (LLC, corporation, LP) are exempt from this county filing. Iowa Code chapter 547 (section 547.1)
• Selling to customers in other states? Each state sets its own threshold for remote sellers; Iowa’s is $100,000 or more in gross revenue from Iowa sales in the immediately preceding or the current calendar year. There is no transaction-count test. Iowa Code 423.14A(3)(a)
• Iowa’s state sales tax rate is 6%, and many cities and counties add a 1% local option sales tax on top of it. Iowa Department of Revenue

Each business is different; this is general information, not legal advice.