According to a 2020 report from Web Fx, 94% of people have their first impression of a business when they see its website.
If your small business or startup doesn’t have its own business now, your competition has a big advantage over you. This holds even more true if your business is just starting.
Every business needs an online presence to be successful.
If you don’t have a home online that prospective consumers can visit, you’re missing out on all kinds of opportunities. A site can be a way to share information about the services and products you over, connect with visitors and convert them into customers.
These suggestions will help you build an incredible website for your business:
1. Ensure That Your Site Is Accessible
Some of the people that visit your site will have disabilities. That’s why you’ll want to take this into account in your site design. Can someone that is colour blind use your site?
You should also consider broadband speed. You’ll want to make sure that even clients with a slow internet connection can access your site without any issues.
2. Check Your Load Times
According to a recent report, having a site that loads in slowly can cost owners as much as $2.6 billion yearly. When people are browsing the internet, they aren’t always patient.
When load times are slow, conversion rates decrease. You may want to stick with a simpler design that will load in quickly. If you opt for a design with more graphics, ensure that your bandwidth and hardware is capable of supporting your site’s design. You’ll find that this is even more important as your site starts to see more traffic.
One of the best ways to lower load times is to select the right web host. Keep in mind that the most affordable plan won’t always deliver the most value for the price. A cheap hosting package that’s also unreliable won’t be a great deal.
3. Focus on SEO and SEM
When you run a small business, you can typically only afford to do so much marketing. SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) are both fields that are worth investing in.
These campaigns can provide excellent results, particularly for smaller businesses. Don’t have a lot of experience with SEO? This easy-to-follow guide from Moz will get you off to a great start.
4. Ensure That Your Contact Info Is Easy To Find
Alister Clare, a business expert from Credit Capital says, “It can be challenging to earn the trust of consumers. However, if your contact information is easy to locate, customers may feel better about working with you. Build a contact page that includes the email and phone number for your business, as well as your physical location, operating hours, and even a map. In addition to including all of this information on your contact page, you’ll want to make sure you include it in your site’s footer.”
5. Create an Email Newsletter
If you want a marketing channel with a strong return on investment, email marketing is worth looking into. That’s why you’ll want to make sure your site can collect email addresses from visitors. A mailing list is ideal if you want to automate aspects of marketing.
Typically, people research options before committing to a purchase. You should take advantage of this window and collect email addresses from prospective customers. That way, you’ll have a way to reach them after they’ve moved on from your website.
6. Look Into Blogging
Want to engage customers, increase search traffic, and boost interest in your brand? Including blog posts on your business site is an excellent way to do exactly that. In your blog posts, you can share useful content and even ask questions or solve problems for site visitors.
Search engines like Google look positively on blogging. Once you start blogging, you’ll likely see your search traffic increase.
7. Pick A Domain Name That’s Easy To Remember
When it comes to online businesses, it’s important to choose a domain name that people won’t forget. Remember, your domain name is essentially an extension of your business name.
It’s best to stick to a shorter domain name if possible. That way, people will be less likely to forget your domain name. If possible, you should buy a domain with a .com extension. If the .com extension isn’t available, and it is being used by another business, you may want to opt for a different name.
Although you may be able to get a free subdomain from your CMS, you’ll want to stay away from these URLs. They can cause people to perceive your brand in a negative light.
8. Include Testimonials On Your Site
As mentioned above, it’s challenging to win the trust of consumers. Testimonials can demonstrate to customers that your company is a reputable one. Both reviews and testimonials can have a positive impact on how customers see your business.
You don’t necessarily need to have a lot of testimonials; even a few can make a positive impression. Include these testimonials throughout your site so that customers will be able to find them. It’s a good idea to share reviews and testimonials on product pages.
Conclusion
Creating a site for your business isn’t always easy. It may take time before you’re satisfied with your own site. However, having a well-designed site can help your business in many ways, e.g branding, marketing, customer service, and sales.
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Author: Chloe Harris is an Australian writer and a Business Administration student living in Sydney. She has extensive knowledge of financial data and project management topics. Chloe has a passion for photography and when she’s not writing, you’ll find her outdoors chasing the perfect shot.
Content Disclaimer: This article was authored by the writer/author indicated above in his/her personal capacity. The opinions and views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view or opinions of Web Design Just for You, or Eileen Forte.
