Small Business Web Design – 10 Things to Remember
I was recently reviewing few small business website designs and I was more than unhappy with their work. All websites looked similar and unimpressive. Most the website seems to be telling more about what they are than what they can do for customers. The important products & services were buried too deep across the webpages. “About Us Page” & “Management Page” were bigger than “Clients List Page” & “Portfolio Page”.
Internet is one of the most influencing media these days for every small business. With website you should always aim to create a long lasting impression on your customers & prospects.
small business website design ideas
10 things to remember before you start designing a website for your small business:
1. Customer Focus – Pain Point
Your website should always be focused on your customers. Your customers always visit your website to get some kind of help. Make an informal research on different pain points of your customers. Always make sure your plan website to help customers resolve those pain points. Every aspect of your website going forward should be around your customers only.
2. Navigation & Information Structure
Make the Navigation of your website easy to understand and walk-through. Important Pages like “Products / Categories, Portfolio, Clients & Locations” should be highlighted. Pages like “About Us & Contact Us” can take backseat.
website-navigation
The way information flow within your website is also important. All of your products should be categorized first. If you have 25 products, you can’t put them all on your homepage. But to make it easier for customers, categorize them. Put all categories on the navigation. You can also segment navigation into two parts – Prominent and Less Prominent.
3. Colors & Images
Colors & Images are very important to make any website attractive. A Picture express more than many words. Colors help to highlight certain aspect of a big paragraph. Make sure all pictures are fresh, if possible put pictures of your real customers & staff. However at any cost try to keep colors & pictures that best represent your target market.
4. Text Copy
Adding good volume of fresh and unique text copy helps a great deal. First it helps search engines to understand the motive of your website (because they only read text, lol). Second it helps your customers to develop some faith on your products. Try to write the text in a language that is friendly for your target market.
5. Flash or not to Flash?
Recently Google make it public that flash animations are most welcome. Flash animations will help to make your website attractive, that doesn’t mean you should place flash all over. Flash animations make your website heavy, so keep the use to minimum. Wherever possible use as much as text within the flash animation file.
6. Load Time
While your design team was pretty busy to make attractive and highly dynamic website, they used so many scripts. Now it takes a whole life to load, oh god!!!!!! Try to use as minimum scripts and heavy coding on webpages so they can load fast, because no one prefer to wait!!!!!
7. Compelling Offers & Call-to-Action
If I ask you – What are your compelling offers? I know every Small Business will say – All of my products are compelling.
compelling-offers-ebay
And I will say you are completely wrong!!! Today customers think basic products are boring. They want discounts, free goodies, free subscription, free home delivery and so many other frees. Try to create some offers for every season, festival, even for weekends too. Now add some call-to-action banners & boxes within your website, across all pages to get more millage of every compelling offer.
8. Portfolio & Clients
Make sure to include your portfolio, List of clients & Client Testimonials in your website. Potential customers will be glad to see what you have already achieved.
9. SEO
As Small Business Search Engine Optimization is very important for your website. It will help you to achieve more targeted customers and reduce the cost to acquire new visitors to your website. You could be spending some money on Web Banner Ads, online advertising or Pay-per-click campaigns now, but SEO will help you in a longer run. Know more about SEO for Small Business
10. Be Creative & Be Simple
You should always look-up to the industry leaders for the trends. But make sure you add your own creativity for your website. It will be an opportunity to show your own style of working. It will also be a good time to flaunt your niche in the industry.
small business website design
Be creative but be simple, because simplicity is the best policy 
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