10 factors Every Small Business Website Must Have

1. 1. SIMPLE YET CAPTIVATING

   A small business website design should be simple yet captivating. Too much information or a complicated design can overwhelm the viewer. An uncluttered design also sends across the message of professionalism. Allow your website to breathe and your users to have a pleasant viewing experience.

2. 2. Google should be able to find your site easily

   An uncluttered site, clear content, proper URLs, sitemap, and relevant keywords will allow search engines like Google to index your small business website with ease. Website design for small business should include at least basic SEO. It is important to find a good SEO friendly platform to build and maintain your website and you can do that easily with a little help from Website Advisor.

3. 3. Mobile friendly

   After Google’s announcement of mobile-first index, it would be almost suicidal not to have your small business website responsive. This merely means that your site will adapt and rearrange when viewed on mobile devices. But that in itself will not make your website mobile friendly. You will need to insure that your website provides a user friendly experience across all devices.

4. 4. Inbound Leads

   One of the most important functions of any small business website is to focus on the inbound leads and capture as many as possible. Usually before purchasing a product people like to do an initial research and comparison, and may not be ready to buy immediately. This time should be utilized in acquiring their e-mail addresses so that you can keep them informed and gauge as to when they are ready to purchase. However, you should avoid being too persistent as this could annoy a potential customer.

5. 5. Contact details easily visible

   This may seem like the most obvious thing to do but small business website design companies tend to overlook this factor at times. Your phone number and e-mail address should be displayed prominently on the website and, if possible, at the top and bottom of every page. Create a ‘CONTACT’ page at the end which includes not just the contact numbers but email address, physical address of the company, and a map, along with directions to and hours of operation of your company.

6. 6. Branding should be professional

   Avoid any frivolity on your small business website and focus on giving it a professional look which is consistent with your brand. Use colors that are prominent in your brand logo. Hire a website design company like us, if required, to give your website a professional look. Choose one or two fonts and ensure that they are used consistently throughout the website. The graphics and the images that you use should also be in sync and complement the website.

7. 7. Design should be simple and unique

   Whether you are designing your website on your own or hiring a small business website design company, your goal should be to create a website that reflects your brand. The first impression is the most important and will either attract or repel viewers. If you use any run-of-the-mill template and your website resembles thousands of others on the net, you will never be able to create an impact on the viewer’s mind. The homepage of any website is what will clinch the deal for you so ensure that this becomes the anchor for your entire site and is impressive enough to catch the viewer’s attention.

   Nothing can be more discouraging to a visitor than a visibly bad website design. Visitors look forward to a smooth navigation process that can take them from Point A to Point B seamlessly without having to deal with visual or other obstacles. Also clutter can a huge downer for your website and is guaranteed to drive visitors away to your competitors. A simple, user-friendly, and clean website design without any unnecessary frills and embellishments is the way to go.

8. 8. Products and services should be showcased well

   Several small business web designs are unable to showcase their products effectively or show too many products and services on one page and clutter it. Remember that you only have the luxury of a few seconds to win or lose a potential customer. So make sure that the first impression is professional. If you are a company selling products online then the product photos, images, and descriptions should be crisp and appropriate. If you have a great website design but your products have not been displayed well, your customers will think twice before buying from you.

9. 9. Quick Site load time

   Viewers get impatient if a site takes too much time to load. Ensure that your small business website design has the right server infrastructure and bandwidth to support it. A graphically intense design could eat into your loading time and put off prospective customers. Site load time can also be improved by picking up good hosts.

10. 10. Content

    Last but not the least is the relevance of content on your small business website. This plays a major role in getting indexed by search engines. The more qualitative and quantitative your content, the easier it is for search engines to find and index your site. Poor or irrelevant content is also a game changer when it comes to attracting or putting off viewers. Headlines are where you need to pay extra attention as this will decide the difference between a visitor leaving your site or continuing further to browse the rest.

    Research shows that there are more mobile users than desktop users now and that’s why it is imperative to have a business website that loads faster and without any frustrating glitches. Google also expects businesses to take care of this critical feature and is using page speed as a key ranking element. According to experts, a small business website must load completely in not less than three seconds to pass the efficiency test. The Google Page Speed Tool is a simple way of measuring page loading time.

The lack of a dedicated and updated small business website can impact your business. Without a website you may not only fall behind your competition but may also miss the opportunity to connect and engage with prospective customers. Before purchasing a product or service, customers would like to know and see more about your company, and the perfect platform to showcase these is a professional website. The above mentioned tips will help you when designing a website for your small business.

• 10 factors Every Small Business Website Must Have
  Written By Adam: adam@onlinewebdesign.co.uk