There are many reasons why you need a website. This will be the main platform where you will engage your audience, gain a loyal following and acquire new customers. The business web design process is the first step of the process, but in this article today we will cover the entire process of designing a website for your business.
Essentially, it is the face of your brand on the digital side of things.
Not having a website in today’s technological environment can cost you time and money.
Why do Small Businesses Need Websites?
Having a website is vital to the longevity of your business and makes good business sense.
For one thing, customers are expecting it.
Not only do they look for it, they expect you to have one. Everyone deals in online spaces at some point. Today’s customers are savvy and technologically sound. When they want to know something, they go online to get the information.
If you don’t have that digital imprint, your valued and prospective customers may go elsewhere.
Consider this – many customers will not use certain products or services if they cannot get information online. This is especially true for local businesses. Solving this problem is easy. You get to speak to people and can showcase testimonials that add validity to your business.
Your website allows you to tell your story how you want and when you want. Although you cannot control what someone says about your organisation, you can influence what different audiences think of you.
Cost Effectiveness
There are a number of options available to create a website. There are many templates available specializing in business web design that will have you up and running in no time.
To use these templates, you do not need coding or technical skills to get the results you would like. This saves on mailing costs and alternative advertising methods that were costly with no tangible ROI.
All, if not most, of your competitors will have a website for their customers to learn about their products, services, and the company in general.
This is where the buying journey begins. You must remain in tune or surpass what your competitors are doing, and this is where you showcase why your customers should be utilizing what you have to offer.
A website allows you to operate around the clock, servicing customers all over the globe.
A website that includes e-commerce features keeps your productivity going, even when the physical doors are closed. This is a powerful marketing tool that will help you keep current customers and attract new ones.
Find New Customers
One of the best things about having a website for your small business is showing up in the search engines. With just a few keywords, customers will be able to find you based on specific needs and wants.
When they find you, fulfilling those wants and needs can help steer you on the road to success.
Your content can make a tremendous difference. Once you have the right content that will continue to attract an audience, your brand will start to become viewed as an industry resource. This provides exposure and helps build loyalty.
A website will consolidate everything into digestible areas for your readers. You can utilize whitepapers, add videos and more. The website is your brand’s personal showcase. You only get one time to impress your audiences.
Small Business Web Design: Essential Ingredients Checklist
A small business website design should be developed with a larger concept in mind. It should reflect professionalism and growth.
A good business website design does not differentiate. Customers will not be able to tell if it is a small, medium, or large-scale organisation. The beauty of the web is that it puts everyone on the same level.
There are a few elements that should be present in the website design.
Brand Identity
It’s vital that your site matches the rest of your online and offline branding. After all, you want your site to be an accurate reflection of your company, as well as your products and services.
Your website should have a logo to clearly identify your brand. The logo should be prominently displayed so that people will remember it and start associating your name with the logo. This helps define your brand.
The content on your site should also match your brand in terms of tone of voice and values. This leads us neatly to…
Relevant content
You want to have content that is constantly being updated to ensure your website stays engaging and is attracting the audiences that matter to you.
One way to find out what your customers want to read about – ask them. Having an open dialogue via social media can help you make the necessary changes needed to go to the next level.
In the 2015 State of Small Business Report, only 9% of the businesses interviewed said their website was not important.
Little do they know – a business website helps attract more visitors, is a learning tool, and defines who you are to a larger audience. Your goal should be to create valuable content which solves the problems of your audience.
This is important for both attracting new customers, and retaining old ones. For instance, the right blend of valuable content can easily create repeat business and increase your average lifetime customer value.
Products and Services Page
There should be a page that specifically outlines what products and services you have to offer. If there are a number of products, each one should be outlined in detail. For services, there should be a comprehensive listing of what you offer and a price list.
In the background, there should be unique title tags with basic search engine optimization tactics to keep you relevant in the search engines.
Your product and service pages are where your site will pay for itself, so it’s important to get them right. Essentially, you have two goals here:
- To attract users directly to your sales pages,
- To funnel users towards your sales pages via other content or marketing channels.
These tips on what should be included in a small business website design should provide guidance in creating a user-friendly, accessible site that will cater to diverse customers.
Social Media Access
Every business, large or small, should have some social media platform. This helps them interact with their audiences and humanizes the brand. This is another outlet to connect your brand with prospective customers.
Having share buttons lets your customers and other interested parties pass the information on without face-to-face interaction. Social media platforms are great marketing tools.
Testimonials are the key to getting the word out. Every time someone visits your site, they should encounter a reason to believe why they should be using your products and services over your competitors.
Before we move into the final section of this article, we will share our most popular content around banding and website design:
Design of an Ecommerce website
The critical responsive design
Our own Web Design Agency Service
The skills that web designers should have
Finally and critically – how to build brand loyalty – which can really elevate a company to the next level.
Ease-of-Use
The site should be easy to navigate, and any e-commerce elements should break down any barriers to purchase. The experience should be just as easy as if there was a brick-and-mortar store.
There should be a number of ways to pay. You want to make it as convenient as possible to conduct a transaction. Your e-commerce element should be a seamless process that makes it worth the customers’ time.
