6 Factors For Your Small Business Website
Business is online and it has been for a while now! For any business, megacorp, or ma and pa shop, making your way in the digital space a website is a key piece of any strategy. Here at Helix House, we work with all sorts of businesses to help get the set up online. For many small businesses just getting started on their digital path, before we get into paid search ads or social campaigns, we find they need some key insights on how to build their first website. This time on the blog we’re giving you the low down on the most important parts of a small business website!
The Key Pieces of A Small Business Website
There are, roughly, a hundred different crucial parts of any website but let’s simplify that down to clear, actionable items, shall we?
...Calculating…
...Calculating…
Result...
6 Key Features
Thanks, computer! The 6 keys to a successful small business website are, in no particular order: Clear Call to Action, Clear List of Services, Easy to Access Contact Page, A Stellar Home Page, Rock Solid Foundation, and Personality!Here’s what we mean by all that.
Have a Stellar Home Page
What’s on a stellar home page? It’s simple. A home page should lay out who the business is, what they do, and why they’re the ones to do it. It’s simple, it’s direct, and it has all the information the customer may need right there. The name of the game is clarity. You don’t want to overload potential customers with industry terms and jargon, just keep it simple and dialed in. Convince them they’re in the right place and give them clear next steps to take.
Clear List of Services
Your services can either be found on their own pages (great for SEO), accessible from an easily navigable menu, or listed right on the home page. Either way, make sure any potential customers would have no questions about whether or not you do what they are looking for. If you have the list of services on the homepage give them their own room and heading to draw the eyes and stand out.With that laid out it’s time for...
A Clear Call to Action
What is the goal or actionable step you want potential clients to take? Is it a phone call? Filling out a form submission? Signing up for an email list? Whichever it is, make sure it’s clearly stated and readily accessible. Have a strong call to action at the bottom (maybe even top!) of the home page, after your clear lists of services. A potential customer shouldn’t have to scramble to find out what to do next once they get to the end of their scroll and feel certain that your business is the one they should use.Which leads us to…
Easy to Access Contact Page
Let’s say, the potential customer has a question. They’ve gone through the home page, they’ve read the services but they still have some nagging doubts. Make sure to give them a way to find that answer. While you can use an FAQ, an easily accessible contact page is the best solution. . The contact page can have numbers, emails, form submissions, whatever you like – just make sure it’s a method that will get the potential customer in contact with you fast. The sooner you’re in direct communication, the sooner you can answer any questions and convert the lead.All of this built on a…
Rock Solid Foundation
When we say rock-solid foundation we’re talking about the best practices for SEO and website architecture. You want to make sure your home page, services pages, and other important pages are all optimized with titles, meta descriptions, and a strong internal linking structure. Some website platforms are built for explicit purposes like Shopify for, well, shopping. When it comes to SEO management and future proofing your site, using a more robust platform is the way to go. You want to use a platform that doesn’t just fit what you need right now but has the capabilities to grow with you (we recommend Wordpress!) A solid foundation can be built on for years to come!Do all that and make sure to add…
Personality
Make sure the personality of your business shines throughout your site. The brand voice needs to be strong to stand out in potential customer’s minds, make their experience of interacting with you better, and just represent your business exactly as it should. A bland brand is a bad brand! Here’s how to develop a brand book to guide your voice.With all of that in place, you’ll have a website that will convert! With a great start following best practices, your website will be ready to grow with you! Here’s a freebie to start you off on the right foot. Get yourself set up with a Google Analytics tag and Search Console so you can start tracking data right from the beginning! The more data you have, the better you’ll be able to optimize your site later! Now get out there and make the best dang website for your business you can manage!
