There were days when having a website for your small business was fashionable, trend setting, but not necessarily all-important. That was before the internet took over commerce, and people found themselves with supercomputers in the palm of their hands.
Not only must small businesses have websites and a strong online presence in order to compete in this day and age; the web design must be top notch in order to keep and attract customers. If you are a small business owner looking to take your online presence to the next level, below are must have features for any small business site.
Easy-to-Use Navigation
Attention spans and patience levels have taken a dramatic nosedive in the digital era. People want intuitive and convenient. Every small business website needs a navigation bar that is front and centre, clearly indicates the elements of the site, and makes getting around simple.
The classic layout is still one of the most effective ones and includes a “home,” “about” “services” “blog” “store” “FAQ” and “Contact Us” tabs. Drop down menus that take you directly to the relevant pages and content are a must.
Social Media Icons
The digital age is all about interactivity, especially within younger market segments. In a sea global competition, people want to be able to see and feel your brand as well as your business personality.
Any good small business site will feature its social media icons somewhere at the very top of the page, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube et al. Social media is also a great place to cross-promote your website, or a brick-and-mortar store, as well as display multimedia content.
A Main Call to Action
Every small business website needs a call to action that is front and centre, telling your customers exactly what you want them to do on the website. Not only does it motivate visitors to actually do what you want them to, but it provides you with a framework within which to build your site.
Whether you are telling people to get in touch with you, or urging them to make a purchase, telling people how to use the site will result in more conversions. Leaving things ambiguous, or neglecting the call to action altogether is a big mistake.
Let People Know You are Liked and Trustworthy
People would rather do business online, but before they get their cards out; they need to know you are trustworthy, and that other people like and vouch for you. People are enticed to buy, or explore your site more when they see evidence of previous happy customers.
You can let people know that your products or services are well-liked by adding a testimonials section to your home page. You can also let people know that you take their privacy and security seriously by display trust badges throughout your site (and especially on checkout pages).
Strong and Compelling Content
The algorithms which rank your business’ page has gotten quite sophisticated, and in this day and age you are expected to have either written, or multimedia content on your site that improves user experience. A well-done blog, with articles that are optimized for search engine algorithms is key.
Your visibility is highly dependent on how search engines rank you. Google (the most important one) determines how visible you are in organic search traffic based on how well you conform to SEO best practices.
As a small business owner, owning a website is simply not enough, your website has to be laid out and designed in a way that potential customers find enjoyable and compelling. Whether you are designing or redesigning your business website, make sure these features are put into consideration and ensure that your business resonates with your target market.
