As a small business owner, you are kept very busy with everything you have to do with running a business and growing that business. You know that a website is important, but maybe you don’t know how to execute the website, or what should be on it. Here’s a tip: Keep it simple! Nobody wants to read blocks and blocks of filler- text on a website, and they won’t. Everyone wants to see pictures and personality on your website, and most of all, they want it to be easy to use and they want the information to be accessible! So how do you do that? What can you, as a business owner, do to make sure your website is going to be attention-grabbing and beneficial to your business?
Keep It Simple
As mentioned before, you don’t want your website to be full of blocks of text. If the text is not needed to get your potential customer important information, leave it out! Big blocks of text will really turn someone off to your website, and make them go elsewhere, where the information is easier to find and less work to scroll through. Don’t clutter your website with images, try sticking to just one or two main images on the homepage, with informative text in between. The website should be clean and clutter-free, in order to establish a simple, organized look that will attract viewers.
Display the Best Information Above the Fold
“Above the Fold” means at the top of your website, above where a viewer would have to scroll down to see. This means that your phone number, specials, best photo and obvious information about what your business does, should all be visible above the fold, or in the top half of your website. A customer will leave your website as quickly as they came if they don’t think you can provide them with the information that they need from you. Make sure this information is clear and visible from the beginning to avoid losing a potential customer.
Display Your Brand
It’s important with building a brand for your business, and keeping up with it, that your website is consistent with that brand. Be sure your logo is at the top of the page, and the colors of your website are neat but match. Building a brand for your business is how you can get consumers to notice you and become aware and familiar with your business online. It’s a huge step to growing your business, and your website needs to reflect that.
Keep Your Website Updated
The look of your website should be updated, using colors and themes that look good now. You don’t want a website that seems like it was built ten years ago and not touched since then. It doesn’t need to be the most extravagant design, but it should be up-to-date and appealing to the current audience. Not just the look of the website should be updated, but also the content. If information about your business changes, make sure your website reflects those changes immediately. Whether you update your hours, location, prices, products or specials, your website should show the most current information. A customer could become very frustrated if they see certain hours, specials or prices listed on your website only to find they have changed, but the website has not. Keeping your website up-to-date in design and information is crucial.
Write Your Own Content
Write your own content that perfectly displays what your business does, and what it’s all about. Include as many offered services and service areas as possible in your content, and make sure it’s obvious what you do to the reader. Your content should be free of spelling and grammatical errors, but this can be checked by a co-worker, a tool on your browser, or a friend on social media! Don’t be afraid to run your content by a few sets of eyes before posting it, to ensure it makes sense, is free of spelling and grammatical errors, and is appealing. A big reason for writing your own content is personality. This means that your personality and the personality of your business shows through the writing. Let your company’s website display the quirky, funny, friendly face behind the business while you write. Keep it professional, while adding some personality!
Have a Contact Form & Call to Action
Along with displaying your phone number at the very top of the page for easy contact, you should also include a call to action with it. A call to action is just as it sounds, something that prompts the potential customer to contact you. Your call to action could be as simple as, “Call Us Today!” above your phone number, or a little more personalized like, “Get a Free Estimate if You Call Now!”
Having a contact form on your website is also a very good idea. Let your customers email you their information and questions with a contact form, for those customers who don’t have the ability to call right away. That way, they get their information over to you and you are able to respond as quickly as possible with the appropriate information. Giving your customers as many ways and options to contact you as possible, will really increase the chances of them reaching out to your business!
There are plenty of free platforms to help you create your first business website. Utilize those, and keep these tips in mind when doing so! Your website is the face of your business online and will help potential customers to understand you and what you do. Don’t let the face of your website be off-putting to customers! A simple, clean, informative website will go a long way.
For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!