In today’s world, everything you need to find is online. So before anyone even thinks to buy anything or go somewhere to eat, the first thing they do is look up the business online. They decide on whether they want to buy something or eat from there only if they are happy with what they have seen on their website.
If you look at any of the latest guide on best web design practices, you will notice how mobile responsiveness has become a top priority. Ever since Google had started with Mobile-First Indexing in 2018, mobile optimization of the web design has become one of the key ranking factors on search.
For you to be able to get their attention and turn them into customers, you need to get the website just right. If they are not happy with what they see, then your potential customers can become the customers of your competitors very easily.
The following are tips every small business should look into for their web design:
1. The target for the business must be clear
This point is divided into two parts. Firstly, only when your clear with your target, as to what you want your website to look like, can the web designer make it so. If you are not clear with this, then the web designer will also end up confused and you’ll end up with a product you don’t want. Secondly, if your website is not clear then your potential customers will not know what they are looking at and will not move forward with your business. Hence the target for your website must be clear from the start.
2. Should be clutter-free
Your users/potential customers should have a pleasant viewing experience. A complicated design or too much information on one page could be too much of clutter and overwhelm the user. They would not know where to look. Keep the design simple and this would also showcase a level of professionalism.
3. Mobile friendly
This tip again is two folds. First, nowadays everyone has a phone and would most likely use that to look into your website. Second, Google has announced its mobile-first index. Hence it would be bad for your business if the website is not mobile-friendly.
4. Your site should be easily found by google
Your small business needs to have at least basic SEO. Google will be able to index your business easily if you have clear content, sitemap, an uncluttered website, proper URLs, and relevant keywords.
5. Contact information should be clear
Any business needs to have trust with their customers. A good way to do this is by making your contact information along with any necessary directions clear. While designing your website ask the web designer to make a contact page displaying all the information such as company email, phone number, address, etc. Another good idea is to also display this information at the bottom/footer of the website.
6. Consistent and professional branding
Make a budget plan in such a way that you can invest a good amount into the website design and branding. Your small business should have a professional look on your website, which is consistent with your branding. This is important as it will showcase your business’s uniqueness from your competitors. The graphics, fonts, and design templates should be able to complement each other. Pay extra attention to your homepages as that is the first thing any user would look into. It is a good idea to have a mix of things on your homepage such as, with products, company’s story and a few customer reviews.
7. A good Domain name
A domain name can make or break your business. Today, a unique and simple domain name is what a customer would remember. The domain name has to be able to put your brand and business across. When purchasing a domain name try and find one which is short but most importantly easy to remember. Also, try and get a .com version of the name. If it is already in use, it would be wise to think of a new name.
8. Site load time
A potential customer will move on to another site offering the same products if your website takes too long to load. A user’s patience has gone down tremendously. They want everything to load the moment they click on the website. Hence it is necessary to ensure that website design for your small business has the right bandwidth and server infrastructure to support this. A design that is graphical to intense could affect your loading time and send off potential customers.
9. Call-to-Action
This allows your users to have a form of immediate contact with a representative of your business. An example for this could be social media integration or a chat box at the bottom of the page. This is a good practice to keep as a viewer is able to clear all their doubts and it leaves a good impression in their minds. A good web design company can ensure this crucial feature is done properly and will function without a hitch.
10. Customer testimonials
A good way to inspire trust with potential customers is to showcase testimonials. This is a way to give a trustworthy account from a third party. For example, a good place to put them is along with the particular product that is being reviewed.
With the right website your small business can boom. It might seem frustrating at first but once you have your target in place, the rest will just follow.
