Small business website design

If you want to push the right buttons with your customers, read about the eight essential elements of an effective small business website below:

Have a plan

If you build it on the web, they won’t necessarily come unless you have a strong sales strategy. In order to get the most out of your online presence, your website should be aligned with the overall sales and marketing plan for your business. Explore the options available – pay-per-click (PPC), email marketing, social media, blogs and search engine optimisation (SEO) – to decide what fits best with your sales plan.

Stay on message

Potential customers usually spend less than two minutes on a website. It is important to have a strong pitch that incorporates what you are selling, and why you are the best at what you do. Remember ‘less is more’ on the net. Hone your message and make sure it comes through loud and clear in the visual and written elements of your website.

Make getting in touch easy

Have clear ‘Call to Action’ buttons on your website. These may be in the form of ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Click for call-back’ buttons. Make it easy for potential customers to contact your company and ask questions. Don’t tuck your contact information away on an inaccessible page on the site. Web customers are impatient creatures and will move on if they cannot find legitimate information quickly.

Track conversions

This is one of the easiest and most valuable website activities. Tracking conversions will help you grow your business and make informed sales decisions and forecasts based on the data you collect.

Tell Customers Who You Are

Understanding your customer’s aspirations and needs is important if you want them to connect with your business. Target your ‘About Us’ page toward your customer demographic and include quality information about the history, goals and successes of your business.

Go for user-friendly design and content

Don’t make your website busy. Elegant visual design and quality content that clearly and logically directs customer enquiries drives sales and encourages website exploration. Your website should be easily accessed on mobile devices – responsive design means your customers connect on any device, anywhere.

Choose a robust CMS

Choose the correct content management system for your website. The following features are critical to eCommerce success:

• • Quick loading and easy to edit pages
  • SEO ready
  • Good support and update structure for software

Choose a web design company

Last but certainly not least, partner with a web design company to get the most out of your eCommerce experience. Look for a company with experience and know-how. Ask how they will implement the eight essentials discussed, and check out their client websites to see if their style is in line with your requirements.