6 Small Things That Can Improve Your Website-Featured.jpg

6 Small Things That Can Improve Your Website

Your small business website is probably the single most important marketing tool you have in your toolbox. It's your virtual storefront, your 24-7 salesman and, more often than not, your first introduction to new prospective customers.

Suffice it to say, your website is a big deal. It needs to make the right first impression, and it needs to do so quickly.

You don't have much time to make your case before potential customers click away to something else. You need to make your small business website count.

Luckily, there are a lot of little things you can do that can have a big impact on your small business website.

6 small things that can improve your small business website

#1. Use high-quality images

This one seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many small businesses still use low-quality images on their websites.

Your website is a reflection of your business, and using poor-quality images reflects poorly on your business. If you want your small business website to look professional and credible, you need to use high-quality images.

This doesn't mean that you need to hire a professional photographer (although that would be ideal). But it does mean taking the time to find or take well-lit, sharp images that accurately represent your products, services and brand.

If you don't have any high-quality images of your own, there are plenty of free stock photo websites you can source images from. Just make sure to read the terms of use before you use any images to make sure you're not violating any copyright laws.

#2. Have simple website navigation

Your website navigation is how visitors move around your website. It's important to have simple, easy-to-use website navigation so that visitors can easily find what they're looking for on your site.

If your website navigation is confusing or cumbersome, visitors are likely to click away in frustration.

There are a few things you can do to ensure your website navigation is user-friendly:

  • Use descriptive names for each page that accurately reflect the content on that page
  • Use drop-down menus sparingly, as they can be confusing for users
  • Group similar pages together in menus to make it easy for visitors to find what they're looking for Use breadcrumb navigation to help visitors keep track of their location on your website
  • Use a search bar if you have a large website with a lot of content
  • Make sure your website navigation is consistent on every page of your site

The easier you make it for your visitors to find what they're looking for on your website, the more likely they are to stick around.

#3. Optimize your website for mobile devices

More and more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet, which means it's more important than ever to make sure your website is optimized for mobile.

A mobile-friendly website is a website that can be easily accessed and used on a mobile device. This means having a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes, as well as simplified content and navigation.

If you want people to be able to access your website on their mobile devices, you need to make sure it's mobile-friendly.

#4. Use compelling copy

Your website copy is the written content on your website. It's important to use compelling copy that accurately reflects your brand voice and speaks to your target audience.

Before you set out to write your website copy, take some time to do some keyword research to identify the best keywords to use throughout your content. You can use these keywords to help improve your website's search engine optimization (SEO).

Once you've identified the best keywords to use, it's time to start writing your copy. Keep your target audience in mind as you write, and make sure your copy is engaging and easy to read.

Use short, concise sentences and paragraphs, and make sure you write for your audience. That means not using industry jargon and speaking at your customers' level.

#5. Include customer testimonials

Customer testimonials are a great way to build trust and credibility with your target audience. When potential customers see that other people have had positive experiences with your business, they're more likely to do business with you as well.

If you don't have any customer testimonials yet, reach out to some of your past customers and ask if they'd be willing to write a testimonial for you.

Once you have some testimonials, make sure to showcase them prominently on your website. You can include them on your home page, as well as on each of your product or service pages.

#6. Use clear calls to action

Your call to action (CTA) is what you want your visitors to do when they reach your website. It could be something like "sign up for our newsletter," "buy now" or "learn more."

Your CTA should be clear and easy to spot on your website. It should stand out from the rest of your content and be easy to understand.

Make sure your CTA is relevant to the content on the page, and make it easy for visitors to take action by including a link or button.

These are just a few small things you can do to improve your website. By making these changes, you can help ensure your website is user-friendly, engaging and more likely to convert visitors into customers.

Originally published on 8/10/22