There’s a lot of competition online for small businesses. Learning how to stand out is key to success.
How to Make Your Small Business Website Stand Out
Robyn Rivera
4 tips to make your small business website stand out
#1. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
Small business websites are often designed and built on a desktop computer and, often, with desktop users in mind. But, it’s a huge mistake to leave mobile users out of the equation.
The reality is that most people who visit your site will be doing so on a smartphone or other mobile device. And, it’s critical that you can provide them with a good user experience when they do.
Having a responsive design is the first step toward mobile-friendliness. Responsive designs are built to automatically reconfigure based on the device being used to ensure optimal functionality.
Responsive design is a key part of mobile-friendliness, but it’s not the end of the story. Here are a few other things you can do to ensure your website is mobile-friendly:
- Use white space - Use lots of white space around content and other key elements to avoid overcrowding small screens.
- Format your text - Long paragraphs look like a wall of text on a mobile device. Break up text into smaller paragraphs and lists.
- Keep it fast - Slow mobile page load speeds can greatly damage the user experience on mobile. Make sure your site is lean, mean and fast.
#2. Make sure it’s fast
Site speed is not only important for mobile usability; it’s something that’s a key part of the user experience for every visitor. If you want to get visitors to your website and keep them there, site speed is critical.
Did you know that it only takes a few seconds for the average internet user to lose interest? The attention span of the average internet user is just a few seconds, and it’s getting shorter!
That doesn’t mean that every user will click away after just a few seconds, but it does mean that you need to catch their attention right away. If those precious seconds are spent loading your website, it’s not going to do you any favors.
Unfortunately, slow site speed not only gives users a poor experience, but it can also hurt your website’s visibility on search engines. Google wants to provide its users with the best possible experience, and if your website is slow, it’s going to have an impact on how it ranks.
Things that can slow your website down include large, unoptimized images, cheap, unreliable web hosting, unnecessary code and more.
Find out if your website passes Google’s speed test, and learn about a few of the things you can do to make your website faster.
#3. Make sure it looks great
Even if your website loads quickly and works well on every device, it still has to look great in order to catch the attention of your visitors.
A lot of small businesses make the mistake of trying to include everything on the homepage of their website from their founding story to their services. This can be overwhelming, to say the least, and confuses the message.
Professional, modern websites are clean and sleek, focusing on one element at a time. Take a look at this screenshot from the Marketing 360® homepage:
Notice the basic, menu-style navigation at the top, the simple, clear message that’s conveyed in just a few lines of text, the use of a single, eye-catching image and the straightforward call to action (CTA), ensuring visitors know exactly what the next step is.
Make every section of each of your pages dedicated to a single message. Your visitors can always continue scrolling or visit another page to learn more.
In addition to keeping the design of your website simple and professional, it’s also important to make sure that you’re choosing professional, high-quality images.
Whenever possible, it’s always a good idea to use your own professional images rather than stock images or manufacturer images.
Images are among the first things that will stand out to visitors. Make sure that you get them right.
#4. Make sure it’s visible
Having a small business website is an absolute must these days. No matter what industry you’re in or who your customers are, every business needs an online presence.
However, even though having a website is critical, it’s certainly not the only thing you should do if you want your business to succeed online (and off).
What good is a website if no one sees it? Not much, unfortunately, but with the right digital marketing tools and a little know-how, you can drive traffic to your website and make your website — and your business — far more visible online.
There are a lot of moving parts to online visibility in this day and age.
Content marketing and paid ads can help you increase visibility on search engines and other top channels. Social media can help you connect with your community on a deeper level. Email and text message marketing can help you earn more repeat business. Reviews can help you build a strong online reputation.
It can be a lot to keep track of for your average small business owner, who is likely to work overtime on a near-weekly basis. But, having the right digital marketing tools on your side can help you save time and make the most of your investment.
Marketing 360® is an all-in-one digital marketing platform like no other. It has everything you need to grow and manage your business online.
Start by building your own small business website with Websites 360®. An intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to build your own website like a pro and for less.
And, since it’s powered by Marketing 360, your website will already be integrated with all of the tools you need to market your business online.
Choose a template to get started.
Originally published on 11/12/20