Getting ready to build your business website? Or does your business already have one? Either way, successfully implementing these five key elements could mean the difference between a website that draws more customers and one that turns them away.
Think of your website as your business storefront online. You want to present the best and most impactful experience to Internet visitors just like you would to store customers. In that sense, ensuring that your brand message is clear, that your business place is uncluttered and impressive, and that your products or services are tastefully showcased is crucial to have an effective local business website.
First impressions last - maybe more so for websites than most. When a visitor first lands on your homepage, you want to deliver a compelling look that can immediately appeal to them. It should be easily scannable so they understand what you offer and impressive enough that your brand sticks even after they've left.
A clean layout that highlights the best things about your business can instantly grab the visitor's attention, keep them engaged and pave the way to turn them into customers.
Once a user is on your website, point them to the next steps you'd like them to take. Whether it's to give you a call, sign up for a free account, or look at your products and services, help them proceed with visible call-to-action buttons and sections.
Users often visit a local business website to look for their contact information, either to make a call or to visit your location, so make sure that this information is easy to find on all pages.
Set up your website menu or navigation to clearly indicate where the important information about your business are - what you do, how your services work, why customers should choose you, etc. Then, keep this logical and consistent throughout the site.
Also, it's very helpful to add features like breadcrumbs or highlighted navigation so users can know where they are in the site all the time.
While a brochure website may be enough for businesses, offering additional value through interesting and engaging content can keep users coming back to your site. Content that users take time to read and even share will only do positive things to your brand. Adding a blog to your site could be challenging to regularly update, but its pay-off is worth it.
Moreover, consistent blogging contributes to better search engine rankings, especially when done well.
You can lose all of the above if your website is not optimized on smartphones and tablets. It's highly important to make your business website look equally good on desktops and mobile devices. More and more people use their phones to look for businesses, and if your website isn't mobile-friendly, you risk losing a lot of business.
If your current local business website does not meet these five important elements, we strongly recommend getting a redesign as soon as possible.