Web Design Guidelines For Small Business Owners That Generate Revenues
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A trustworthy brand will have a website that has been professionally created. Small business owners supposedly spend less money on technology and digital presence. They acquire customers through traditional channels; thus, they rarely give the development of a company website much thought. Visual and interactive elements, other important elements, and functionalities should be able to live up with the user expectations.
But, in recent times, that has all changed. Responsive design became an integral part of the web developer’s scope of work.
Today, a website is one of the most critical business investments you can make. It’s a reflection of your company, and it needs to look good and function well to attract (and retain) customers.
So, if you’re running a small business , but don’t have a website, or if you have a website that isn’t generating revenue…then this article is for you.
Introduction
Web design guidelines is a critical for small business owner, it’s important to have a well-designed and user-friendly website to attract potential customers and stay competitive in the market. However, with so many elements to consider, it can feel overwhelming trying to create the perfect website for your business.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of web design guidelines for small businesses to follow to make their online presence stand out. From layout and navigation to visual appeal and mobile optimisation, these guidelines will help ensure that your website effectively showcases your brand and effectively converts visitors into customers.
Table of Contents
Website for Small Business Owners
What is the ideal website for small businesses?
A good website, which serves as your company’s front door, is the most crucial marketing component. A “decent” website won’t cut it when it comes to engaging visitors who will become brand advocates. What you actually require is a top-notch website.
If all you need is a straightforward, off-the-shelf website that appears professional enough to give your firm a basic start, there are thousands of pre-made templates and themes that make constructing a website simple. However, you require a website that is as distinctive as you are if you want to stand out in today’s competitive market.
The website and landing pages should also be:
Mobile Responsive Websites
A website that responds to the viewing device is crucial for businesses today.
Your website needs to offer an excellent viewing experience with minimal resizing, panning, and scrolling across desktop computer monitors, laptops, tablets, and phones.
If you want people to stay on your site, you have to make sure it’s easy for them to do so regardless of the device they’re using. Mobile responsiveness is no longer optional for web designers; it’s essential.
SEO Optimised Websites
Your website must be built with search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind.
This means that your site needs to be constructed using techniques that will help it rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This makes it more likely that people will find it when they’re seeking the products or services you offer.
Some basic SEO principles that you need to keep in mind include:
Secured Website for Your Business and Your Clients
Your website must be secure. This means it should have an SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate installed.
An SSL certificate encrypts the data that passes between your website and visitors’ web browsers, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept and misuse that information. You can tell if a website is secure if the URL starts with https:// rather than https://.
It’s also a good idea to use a security plugin to help protect your site from malicious attacks.
Fast Loading Website
A fast loading website is also important for keeping visitors engaged. If your site takes too long to load, people will likely get frustrated and go elsewhere.
There are several things you can do to speed up your website, including:
Easy to Navigate Website Structure
The structure of your website is also significant. Your navigation should be easy to understand and use. Usability testing and web accessibility are also essential to determine if the site accessible is ideal for your brand needs. Mobile web should be easy to navigate too, with more and more customers leaning to the use of mobile technology.
Visitors should be able to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily – both on the web and through a mobile device. If they have to click through plenty of links or search around for too long, they’ll likely get frustrated and leave. If you confuse users with other website elements that are not essential for your brand, you will definitely lose them.
To get user feedback to keep people engaged, it’s critical to have a well-organised web pages with clear navigation. Some things you can do to achieve this includes:
These are just some web design guidelines for small business owners that generate revenues. Following these tips will help ensure that your website is effective and engaging, helping you to attract more customers and grow your business. With a seasoned web designer to help you with the design process, all of these are achievable.
Business Website Design Guidelines
You run the risk of falling further behind your competitors if your startup or small business doesn’t have a dedicated website with responsive web design.
You might believe that you are increasing your fan base on Facebook, publishing photographs to Pinterest, and providing brief pieces of material on Twitter. However, without a central digital hub, your efforts are dispersed, and you lose a massive change to interact and connect with your current and future clients through a focused website.
After all, a dedicated website will aid customers who eventually want to discover more about the goods and services offered by your business. Moreover, it’s a powerful marketing tool that can help promote your brand and increase revenues.
Here are web design guidelines for small business owners that will help you generate revenue:
Keep your website simple and straightforward
One of the most common mistakes made by small business owners is to try to stuff too much information on their websites. Your website should be easy to navigate and understand; otherwise, you’ll lose potential customers who will click away in frustration.
When it comes to web design, less is usually more. Use plenty of white space to break up text and make use of headlines, subheads, and bulleted lists to make your content easier to scan. Furthermore, be sure to use clear and concise language throughout your website.
Showcase Your Products and Services
Your website is the perfect platform to showcase your products and services. Be sure to include high-quality photos and videos, as well as detailed descriptions of what you offer.
If you have a brick-and-mortar location, be sure to include your address, hours of operation, and a map so that customers can easily find you. If you offer shipping or delivery, be sure to include details about how much it will cost and how long it will take for customers to receive their purchases.
Pay Attention to Your Landing Pages Loading Speed
Your website’s loading speed is crucial, especially on your landing pages. After all, you want to make a good first impression on potential customers, and you don’t want them to click away in frustration because your website is taking too long to load.
There are a few things you can do to improve your website’s loading speed, such as optimising your images and using a content delivery network (CDN). Most users would simply leave if your landing pages and web navigation is slow.
Bulk Up in Quality Content
If you want your website to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs), then you need to focus on creating quality content. That means writing blog posts, infographics, and other types of material that are keyword-rich, informative, and engaging.
It’s also a good idea to include social media sharing buttons on your own website pages so that visitors can easily share your content with their friends and followers. And be sure to promote your content through email marketing and paid advertising .
Use high-quality visuals
Make sure to use high-quality visuals, such as photos, videos, and infographics, on your website. People are visual creatures and are more likely to remember information that is presented in a visually appealing way. Your design elements should be optimised as much as possible.
Moreover, using visuals can help break up large blocks of text and make your content more digestible. Perform usability tests to determine which type of visual hierarchy, and file size would work best with your website.
Optimise your website for search engines
Make sure to optimise your website for search engines by using relevant keywords throughout your site’s content, titles, and metadata. By optimising your website, you’ll increase its chances of ranking highly in search engine results pages, which will help you attract more organic traffic to your site. Boost your web site search and presence with SEO efforts, both on page and off page.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
It’s essential to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly in today’s age of smartphones and tablets. More and more people are using their mobile devices to surf the web, so it’s important to make sure that your website can be accessed and properly viewed on these devices. Mobile-friendliness can be accomplished by using a responsive web design or by creating a separate mobile version of your website.
By following these web design guidelines, you’ll be on your way to creating a website that is not only visually appealing, but also effective in generating revenue for your small business.
What Makes a Good Business Website?
Great content, regular updates, intuitive design, user-friendliness, and, ideally, a high visitor-to-customer conversion rate are all characteristics of an excellent website. Due to a lack of expertise, many businesses find it difficult to create and manage an effective website.
The following advice will show you how to optimise your website to attract more visitors while retaining your current clientele.
Your Website Should Target your Desired Potential Customers for Sales
I’ve heard that the most successful swimming pool maintenance business in America isn’t operated by a cutthroat corporation, but rather by a modest individual who responded to all the often asked questions regarding website maintenance on his website.
The website has simple tips and is easy to follow. Most importantly, it is focused on providing information to a very specific target audience : those people who want to maintain their business websites. Before proceeding with web design and web development , plan out who your website is for.
When you design your website, always keep your target customer in mind. What are their needs? How can your product or service meet those needs? Your website should be designed to appeal to your target customer and encourage them to take action.
Good Copywriting Results in Successful Sales.
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Quality content is the reason websites receive repeat visitors and eventually consumers, since it is the king of the internet. Focus users attention on helpful content that can help them convert from leads to buying customers. Visual appearance alone will not bring you the sales you aim for your website.
Businesses were losing millions of dollars due to spelling errors. Why would your target audience trust a website with plenty of mistakes and outdated content if you wouldn’t? Best practices like regular site audit and content proofing prevents such issues on your website.
However, copywriting is more than merely proofreading for errors in grammar. A competent copywriter will be fully aware of your company’s objectives and will create the content required to satisfy those needs and draw in your target audience . So make the investment; they’re worthwhile.
Keep Your Website Fresh
Your website should be designed to attract new customers while retaining your current ones. To achieve this, you need to keep your website content fresh and up-to-date. This can be done by adding new articles, blog posts, products, or services on a regular basis.
You should also regularly update your website’s design to ensure that it remains visually appealing. If your website is starting to look dated, chances are that your visitors will start to lose interest. A web design company can help you freshen up your website’s appearance regularly.
What Can Be Done To Boost Online Presence?
How do you increase the visibility of your business online, ensure that your target market can find you when they are browsing the web, and draw them to your store?
The majority of individuals use search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing to find these goods and services in their neighbourhood. Below, we go over local SEO tactics and other ways to boost your online visibility, so you can attract this traffic.
Create a Consistent, Clear and Prominent Information on Your Business
List your business on Google My Business and other relevant directories. Make sure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) is consistent across the web and your social media platforms. If you have a brick and mortar store, ensure that your address is correct and prominently displayed on your website.
Choose the Right Categories for Your Business
When submitting your business to online directories, you must select the proper categories. If you don’t, you may not turn up in relevant searches. For example, if you own a barbershop, some good categories might be “hair salon,” “barber,” “haircuts,” etc. You can usually select multiple categories when submitting your business information.
Generate Customer Reviews
Customer reviews build social proof and improve your chances of ranking higher in local and search engine optimization ?results. Google My Business allows customers to leave reviews, and there are also many other directories that focus solely on customer reviews.
Make sure you claim your business profile on these platforms and actively encourage customers to leave feedback. Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, professionally.
Build Citations
Citations are mentions of your business information on other websites. It’s important to have consistent NAP information across the web, even if it’s just a mention without a link back to your website. You can submit your business information to relevant directories, such as Yelp, Foursquare, Angie’s List, etc. You can also get creative with this and find other ways to mention your business online, such as through press releases, guest blogging, etc.
Optimise Your Website for Local SEO
Make sure your website is optimised for local SEO by including relevant keywords, such as your city or region, throughout your content. You should also include NAP information on your website (preferably in the footer), and make sure your website is responsive, so it can be easily viewed on mobile devices.
Apply Schema Markup
By adding schema markup code to your website, you’re helping search engines understand your content better. This can cover details such as business hours, reviews, contact information, etc. Adding schema markup to your website not only helps improve click-through rates from SERPs, but also gives you an advantage in the rankings.
Engage in Social Media Marketing
Make sure your business is active on social media, and that you are regularly posting engaging and relevant content. Social media is a great way to connect with potential and current customers, and it can also help improve your SEO. Search engines take social signals into account when ranking websites, so the more active you are on social media, the better.
By following the guidelines above, you can make sure that your small business is visible online and attract more customers. Local SEO is an important part of any marketing strategy, so make sure you put some time and effort into it. If you need help getting started or want to learn more about how to optimise your website for local SEO, contact a web design and marketing agency that specialises in this area.
How to Choose an Agency to Design Your Website
What’s the best way to find a web design agency that will take your business seriously and deliver a site that generates revenue? Here are some tips:
1. Make sure the agency has a good understanding of your business.
The agency should take the time to learn about your products or services, your target market, and your competitors. They should also have a good understanding of what you hope to achieve with your website.
2. Ask for examples of their work.
A good agency will be happy to show you examples of their previous work. This will give you an idea of their style and how they approach web design projects.
3. Ask about their process.
A good agency will have a design layout and a well-defined process for designing and developing websites. This process should be explained to you in detail so that you know what to expect.
4. Make sure the agency is knowledgeable about search engine optimisation (SEO).
Your website needs to be designed with SEO in mind from the start. Otherwise, your site may never be seen by potential customers.
5. Choose an agency that offers a free consultation.
This allows you to get to know the agency and their team better. It will also give you an opportunity to ask questions and get a feel for their level of knowledge and professionalism.
6. Ask for references.
A good agency should be able to provide you with references from past clients. These references can help you determine whether the agency is a good fit for your project.
7. Get everything in writing.
Once you’ve found an agency that you feel comfortable with, be sure to get everything in writing. This includes the price, the timeline, the scope of work, and any other important details. Having everything in writing will help to protect you if there are any misunderstandings later on.
8. Ask for a contract.
A contract is critical because it will protect both you and the agency. Be sure to read over the contract carefully before signing it. Pay attention to any deadlines or milestones that are included in the contract. These can help keep the project on track and ensure that both parties are held accountable.
9. Don’t be afraid to negotiate.
If you feel that the price is too high, don’t be afraid to negotiate. Remember, you are the one hiring the agency, so you have the power to set the price. Just be sure that you are getting what you want in return.
10. Be prepared to walk away.
Occasionally, no matter how hard you try, you just won’t be able to come to an agreement with an agency. If this happens, don’t be afraid to walk away and find another agency that better meets your needs.
By following these tips, you can ensure that you find an agency that will take your business seriously and deliver a website that generates revenue. Choosing the right agency is an important decision, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. With a little research, you can find an agency that will help your business grow and succeed.
Best Website Design Tools to Invest in as a Small Business
You can use these design software programs to host and maintain your website. Some have free versions, while others charge transaction fees. However, almost all of them let you use your domain name. Below are some of the best design software options for website creation:
WordPress
WP offers small business owners access to ecommerce tools, analytics features and other advanced capabilities that a web developer would usually have.
WordPress is the most popular website platform, hosting around 35% of all websites. In addition, it is the leading digital publisher on the internet. WordPress sites are known for their elegant and customise designs, as well as their free templates.
WP provides users with a platform that has multiple SEO tools, plugins, and website builders to choose from. In addition, you can use a custom domain, which will give you more control over your website building process.
GoDaddy
Although GoDaddy does not have a free plan, it does offer 30 days of free trials for website builders. Likewise, Go Daddy offers web hosting & maintenance services to its users.
Although you won’t get a free domain, GoDaddy is the best website builder for purchasing a custom domain. They have been in business for many years and are very reliable. If you already have a domain, they offer a free transfer service.
GoDaddy is a wonderful alternative if you’re just starting an online store and require a website builder. It offers more than 100 themes for your own site to design, but its ADI features can be constrictive. It also has adequate storage limitations and drag-and-drop features. Even though GoDaddy isn’t the greatest website builder available, it’s certainly something to think about if you’re just starting out.
Weebly
Weebly is an excellent choice for small businesses, as it offers a free plan with no time limit. You can also use your own domain name with Weebly, which is great if you’re looking to brand your website. However, Weebly’s free plan only allows for 500MB of storage and limits you to 10 pages.
Weebly is one of the most popular site builders on the market. It has a user-friendly interface and plenty of features to help you build a professional website. Plus, its ecommerce plans are very affordable and start at just $8 per month. Overall, Weebly is a great option for small businesses that are looking to build a website on a budget.
Wix
Wix is a popular website builder that allows you to create a website without having to code. You can select from a variety of templates and designs, or you can start from scratch. Wix also offers ecommerce plans that let you sell products on your website.
Shopify
Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform that offers a 14-day free trial. After the trial, plans start at $29 per month. Shopify is a great option for businesses that are looking to sell products online. It offers plenty of features and is very user-friendly. However, it can be pricey if you’re just starting out.
Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms available. It’s user-friendly, has plenty of features, and offers a free 14-day trial. However, it can be pricey if you’re just starting out, with plans starting at $29 per month. Overall, Shopify is a great option for businesses that are looking to sell products online.
It is impossible to overstate how crucial it is for your small business to have an internet presence. These cost-effective web design solutions make hosting and maintaining your website simpler.
Having an online store requires more than simply being available online; you also need to make sure that your small business can be found and seen there. Many businesses use the services of independent digital marketing firms to have this work done by professionals.
Growing Your Organic Traffic With Web Design
Implementing these web design principles and guidelines can help small businesses improve their organic traffic by creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website. This not only attracts potential customers, but also increases the likelihood of visitors staying on the site and converting into customers. Ultimately, investing in professional web design can be a valuable asset for small businesses looking to grow their online presence and drive organic traffic.