Every business needs a website, whether they’re small, large or monstrous in size. In fact, for your small business to make waves, it’s vital you have a website. Use it to give a great first impression and make the most of your business opportunities.
If you have a small business website that’s just getting started, there are a few key things you’ll need to include to make it a success. What are they, and how do you implement them? Keep reading for 7 key things your website should include.
1. A Rolls-Off-the-Tongue (Private) Domain Name
First things first – your website needs a name! Let’s look at the top 2 things to incorporate in your website name.
Easy to Remember Name
Your website address needs to be one your customers will remember. The way you do this is up to you. Depending on the purpose of your website you could use your company brand name, a catchy description of your services, or a fun phrase.
There are a few things involved in finding the perfect domain name, so do your homework. The more memorable your web address, the easier it’ll be for your customers to find you.
Private Domain
Next, you want to make sure you have a private domain name, so opt for a ‘.com’ or similar extension after your web address. If your company does business the world over, the ‘.com’ is really what you’re after.
If you’ll mainly be trading nationally within a country outside the US, then that country’s extension will be fine. This means ‘.co.uk’ (UK), ‘.ca’ (Canada), or ‘.jp’ (Japan) extensions, for example, are what you should be aiming for.
2. Strong, Clear Branding
Once you’ve got your domain name sorted, you’ll want to take a look at incorporating your branding into your website. Remember, once your logo is online, it’s how people will recognize you, so you need branded website elements to sing.
If need be, tidy up your branding on paper behind the scenes, before splashing it all over your website. If you’ve been guilty of using a variety of colors, fonts and logos, consolidate them into one cohesive brand that’ll represent your business.
3. A ‘Contact Us’ Info Page
While this seems like a no-brainer, businesses all over the world forget to include a ‘contact us’ page somewhere on their website. They may include their phone number or address on every other landing page… but it just isn’t as effective.
Rather, have a dedicated ‘contact’ page on your website. Have it include your address, phone number, email address, etc, and a map to a physical store location. This way, customers can save and link to your contact page whenever they need it.
4. Clear Product Info and/or Objectives
Now, the next thing you need to focus on is the nuts and bolts of your business. Your bread and butter. Why are you here, and what are you doing? Of course, you know the answer to that, but your customers need to as well.
As part of your website must-haves, include clear links to your shop and products, if you’re an e-commerce store. Tell your customers why you’ve set up your business, and who you are. This’ll give a clear idea of why they should choose you.
5. Easy Access to Info on the Different Locations You Serve
Does your business serve more than one, or even several different locations? If that’s the case, you need to shout it from the rooftops! For example, if you’ve got an office in St. Cloud, MN, you need to let customers in St. Cloud know that.
On the flip side, if you serve customers in Fargo, ND, you don’t want them to give up when they just see ‘St. Cloud, MN’ listed. Rather, have a clear menu linking to each location you serve, for the most intuitive and navigable website out there.
6. Harness the Power of SEO Via Optimized Content
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it basically makes your website stand out in Google’s search engine results. Content is all the text that makes up your website. To take advantage of SEO on your website, you’ll need keywords.
Keywords explain your specific content, and you want your keywords to match what people are searching for on the internet. You can use keywords in:
- Landing page content
- Page titles
- Subheadings
- Metadata
- Image descriptions…
… and more. SEO has taken the internet by storm, so learn more about it and implement it in your small business website. Your popularity with Google will grow, making it easier for potential clients to spot you online.
7. Keep It Simple!
To wrap up our 7 tips, the last one is this: keep it simple. Use this as your mantra when it comes to everything related to your site. Use minimal colors, minimal fonts and text, and keep your writing sharp, short and to-the-point.
Use whitespace (the white gaps between elements on a page) to make your content stand out. Remember, less is more, and it’ll make it easier for visitors to navigate your website. Keep it simple, people!
Bonus Tip: Write a Blog
While it’s not an absolute necessity for your business to function, our bonus tip of having a blog will make you popular online. SEO is the way to get your business recognized on the internet, and by having a blog, you maximize your chances.
Write fresh content on a regular schedule, whether that’s daily, semi-weekly, etc. But by adding content to your company blog, you’ll gain a following of readers, and move your business up the results list when someone’s on the lookout for you.
Must-Haves for Your Small Business Website
Your small business website is the virtual door to your online presence, so you need it to work for you. A kicking domain name that will stick in people’s minds is your number one priority. Once that’s in the bag, nail your branding and objectives.
For any current or potential customers to get in touch, you’ll also need to make sure your ‘Contact Us’ page is clear and effective. Check out our Contact page for a great example, and see how we can help you get up and running to success.