Must-Haves For Your Small Business Website [6 Essential Elements]

Please note: This article was originally posted at ScottOstrander.com, my web design services website. Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

Do you have a small business website? Then you probably know it can be a great tool for marketing your business.

That is of course if it has the essential elements to engage with site visitors. If it does, your return on investment for that website is high and you are acquiring customers with it. But if not, it’s web real estate that’s seen yet doesn’t effectively grow your business.

So ask yourself, is your website engaging with customers AND growing your business?

In this post, I’ll share 6 essential elements that you must have for your small business website.

1. Logo

Your logo is a strong and identifiable part of your brand. It’s how customers know you and what your small business has to offer. If you have a logo (which you should), the most common place for it is the top left of your website. But you can also place it in the footer or contact sections.

2. Testimonials

A good word can be a great tool that grows your business. With a testimonial, you capture a customer’s positive experience in written form. It’s a must-have element to add credibility and prove to site visitors that you do quality work. Add your testimonials on the homepage, your contact page, and near calls to action.

3. Contact Info

A fantastic looking website misses the mark if it doesn’t connect you to customers. It’s obvious to put your phone number, email, etc. on your website. But you can improve on this by including many contact forms at various sections. You can also add it to the footer which exists on every page.

4. Images/Videos

You probably know the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Images and videos make a huge difference in the engagement on your website. Make sure to acquire high resolution images of your people and business that tell the story of what you do. And if you want to go further, hire a pro videographer to capture video as well. Site visitors will often see much more than read when engaging on your website.

5. Call To Action

One of the most important things a site visitor needs to know is what your small business is about. After that, they need to know what actions to take next. Your website must have a call to action that serves this purpose. At least one will do, but not too many because you’ll confuse visitors. A good call to action might get your visitor to pick up the phone or request a free report.

6. List of Services

If your small business specializes in just one service, that’s great! But it’s more likely that you offer many services in your field of business. Use your homepage and services page to list all services or packages you offer to customers. Make it clear what you have to offer and for whom you provide it to. Site visitors will appreciate finding what matters to them in a list format. And connect each item to at least one image that captures the concept of your service.

Beyond These 6 Elements

Updating your small business website to include these 6 essential elements is great! Listed here are more features to consider:

• Associations, awards, certifications
• Blog content
• Concise/intuitive navigation menus
• Social media integrations

And if those aren’t enough, just search Google for even more. And remember to take it one step at a time.

If you need web design services, I’m happy to help! Please view my portfolio, pricing, or contact me today.