Posted on Jan 9, 2017

5 Things Every Small Business Website Needs To Be Successful

If you have a small business, it’s imperative that you have a presence on the web. In this age of information we live in, people go online to learn more about your company, and if you don’t have a website this doesn’t reflect well on your business.

Chances are, without a website you won’t be taken seriously. Plus, you’re going to be missing out on traffic and new customers that find you via the web. However, not just any website will do; you need to have certain elements that inspire trust in the eyes of your visitor.

Below we highlight the five elements your small business website must have if you want it to be successful.

1. Easy to Access Contact Information

Contact information is an easy thing to leave out, but it’s absolutely crucial as a small business owner. Leaving contact information off your site, or making it hard to find, will diminish your credibility. Not only that, but you can’t expect your customers to do a lot of work to find out how to contact you. If you don’t make it easy, they’ll leave and find someone else who is easier to contact.

Plus, having reliable and up to date contact information will improve your search rankings in the local search results.

Besides contact information, it can be helpful to have a picture of your team, and even team member bios (if it makes sense for your style of business). This is an opportunity to share your company background and create a personal connection with prospects.

2. Fresh and Engaging Content

When was the last time you updated your blog and website content?

By having fresh content you show your customers that your business is very much alive. Of course, you don’t have to update the copy on your homepage every single month, but there should be one aspect of your site that you update on a regular basis. Plus, maintaining a regular blog will help your website pull in more local traffic.

3. High Quality Images

The images you use on your website will say a lot about your company. If you’re using outdated stock photos, this will only put a sour taste in your visitor’s mouth.

To truly connect with your visitors you should have high quality images of your team and your place of business. This will help to build a relationship with your company.

4. Testimonials

The moment a visitor lands on your website they’re evaluating your company.

One great way to increase your credibility is to feature customer testimonials. Reading about positive experiences from past clients or customers will let a new visitor know that you can be trusted.

You can talk about your company all you want, but sometimes letting other people brag for you can be more effective.

If you have a presence on sites like Yelp, it can be useful to incorporate these reviews into your site as well. The more credulity you can provide your visitors, the better.

5. A Clear Call-to-Action

The design of your website should be goal-oriented. It should be much more than just a virtual business card. When building out your website ask yourself, what’s the action you want your visitor to take?

Do you want your visitor to join your email newsletter? Do you want them to schedule a consultation? Maybe you want to entice them to visit your storefront with a coupon?

Make sure you make it easy for your customer to take your desired action.

 

Having a solid small business website can be very beneficial for your bottom line. Include the elements above and your site will shine above your competition.

Any crucial website elements we failed to mention? Share your favorites in the comments below.

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