3 Of The Most Essential Characteristics Of A Small Business Website.

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3 of the Most Essential Characteristics of a Small Business Website


When it comes to running a small business, few things are more important than maintaining a high-quality website. Whether your business is an e-commerce store, a brick-and-mortar establishment, or both, your website serves as your online headquarters. Not only will all of your marketing content lead consumers to your website, but more and more people are using the web to find local businesses and order products and services. For these reasons, among many others, investing in professional web design from an agency like VanHaaren Designs can benefit your business much more than throwing together a free template site.


If you don’t have the cash on hand to create a new website or upgrade your current one, you may need to research your funding options. From government assistance like SBA express bridge loans and the Main Street Business Lending Program to non-government loans and grants, there are likely some options out there that can provide you with the funds necessary.


Now, let’s discuss three characteristics that every effective small business website possesses, along with some secrets as to how you can accomplish them.

Looks



The way your website looks is the first characteristic that visitors will notice. If your site looks unprofessional, it will turn people away and harm your conversion rate. Choose one or two (no more than that) easy-to-read fonts, and separate your written content with headers and subheaders.


Also, be sure not to clutter your web pages with content. There should be plenty of white space on each page, meaning there are gaps between the page’s individual content and elements. And rather than using stock photos, which countless other companies will be using, hire a professional photographer to take top-notch photos for your site. This will help bring quality to your site while also making it unique.


Ease of Use


Simplicity is critical for web design. When someone visits your site, they need to know exactly how to get where they need to go or do what they need to do. For instance, they shouldn’t have to look for longer than a few seconds to find your blog, product page, or contact page. In fact, you might consider treating every page as a landing page, meaning that you include essential contact information and calls-to-action (CTAs) somewhere visible on the page.


Another thing to consider is that many small businesses hide their navigation links behind a single burger icon, usually in one of the top corners. However, this strategy isn’t ideal if you run a product-heavy business, such as an e-commerce store.


Content


If you look at most of the best-designed websites, you’ll notice that they have a blog where regular written content is posted. Keeping a blog page with quality content benefits your business in a number of ways, including:


It provides your customers with pertinent information and advice on various industry-related topics.
It keeps your customers informed of news concerning your company.
You can share your blog posts on social media pages, which will lead to more traffic on your website.
It will improve your company’s SEO results.


It’s worth mentioning that videos are another type of content that can benefit your business. As with photography, hire a professional videographer to make promotional, how-to, company culture, and customer testimonial videos for your website.


If you are starting or running a small business, creating a stellar website must be a priority. Making your site visually appealing and simple to use, as well as providing helpful and unique content, will result in exceptional user experience. Of course, there are other factors involved in
great web design, so keep learning about how you can take your site to the next level.


Article written by Lindsey Weiss
Outbounding.com
[email protected]