Seven Tips for Building a Better Website

One of the most effective and budget-friendly marketing platforms available to small businesses is a great website. Here are some tips that will help you create a visually appealing website which will represent your brand in a unique way. 1. Keep the Design Simple Since the homepage is the first thing potential customers will see when they visit your website, it is usually the most important part of web design for small businesses. Your homepage should answer all the questions first-time visitors will likely ask-- who you are, what your business is all about, and what they can accomplish through your website. Consider the type of impression you want to make and the message you want to pass across to your customers and prospective customers. Make sure you don’t overload your homepage with information which can be confusing and distracting to consumers. Keep it to a maximum of 120 words. 2. Consider User Experience Your visitors may be browsing through your websites from laptops, tablets, or mobile phones. Keep it simple and clean so your site is optimized for any and every device a visitor might use to browse your website. 3. Showcase Your Products and Services Your homepage should clearly show the products and services you offer. Most small businesses benefit from adding stock or professional photographs and videos to their website. Make sure graphic images and product photos are crisp, clean and appropriate. You may have an excellent site design, but your potential customers will think twice about making a purchase if you have terrible looking product pictures. 4. Consider Load Times Consumers are very impatient when it comes to web browsing. A website that loads slowly will put them off and potentially discourage them from making purchases, which will affect your brand. Conduct regular site performance checks on both site speed and load times. Make sure the correct formatting and continuity are applied to all text and images. 5. Make it Accessible People with certain disabilities will also be a part of your viewership, so make sure you plan the design of your website in such a way that will allow them to learn about your products and services without difficulty. 6. Carry Out Proper Site Organization Whenever a prospective client visits your site, they are usually looking for specific information. They will rarely read through your entire site and will most likely skim through the pages. A well-structured, orderly, and organized site will give you a greater chance of turning a potential client into an actual customer than a website that looks chaotic and has no obvious focal point. 7. Content is Vital If the content on your website is poorly written, it can cause you to lose a lot of visitors. Well-written headlines often make all the difference between a visitor choosing to read the rest of the content or opting to leave the site. Keep your content relevant and fresh. Regular updates of product information, price changes, business hours, white papers and news articles are examples of content that will help keep your users active and engaged.