10 FAST ways to boost your small business website
So, you’re starting a new small business, or have made the decision to take your existing small business web site to the next level. Before you jump in consider the 10 things we have seen be super successful on the small business Squarespace websites we have built for our clients.
tip 1
Small Business Snippet - What do you do?
Did you know? - The average internet user spends less than 10 seconds on 90% of the websites that they browse? Crazy right? Therefore its crucial you not only grab the attention of your website visitor via great design, branding and imagery, but also letting them know exactly what you do in short simple terms.
What you do should be a concise summary of your services and the market you serve. This “elevator pitch” should engage and persuade people to find out more about your small business and the services / products it offers.
tip 2
Is your About Us interesting?
It’s unfortunate to know that many small business websites undervalue the About Us section on their website. However, the About Us section is one of the most important parts of your website. The About Us should not only talk about the history of the company, but what it’s about, who works there, what makes them tick and why they do what they do.
People will buy from you if they feel like they know, like and trust you. So this is why the About Us section is so so important.
Check out About Us page out while your at it.
tip 3
Content is King.
Online content is everything! If you don’t provide your visitors with high quality engaging content, you’re at the risk of losing them. Don’t forget you’ve spent so much time, effort and some cases money getting them to your site, make sure you keep them there with great things to read and look through.
Craft the copy and content you want on your site, and if needed seek external help from a company like Squarely who can help you to refine and focus your messages online.
Search engine Optimisation (SEO), Branding and great web site design for your small business will only get you so far. Having relevant, engaging and persuasive content that leads to a specific Call to Action (CTA) is what will set you apart from your competitors
4 tips for your content:
Keep content simple and easy to digest
Make it relevant. Speak in the tone of your target audience.
Organise the website content carefully so that it makes sense and intuitive to the user to find and progress.
The content should not only be informative, it should also be engaging and filled with relevant keywords to help your SEO success - Speak to us about finding and refining your keyword strategy.
tip 4
Make it clear what you want people to do.
Having a clear path and action you want your visitors on your website to take is crucial for having an effective Squarespace website for your small business.
Call-to-actions or CTA’s are designed to get users attention and prompt them to take a desired action - ie. Call us, Buy Now, Book Now, More information etc.. Call to Actions are effective ways to attract users attention and get them to interact with your small business website.
Each page of you business website should have some sort of Call to Action to Buy, Contact, Call, or Download etc.
Squarespace makes it super easy and effective to design and connect clear Call to Action prompts to your website
4 tips for your Call to Actions:
Make sure your contact details are present on every page. We like to have them in all in the footer, with a bold Call to Action.
Have other information like social media links, and menu links in the footer of your website.
Use different CTAs to prompt visitors to different pages of your website depending on the Call to Action goals you want to achieve on your small business website.
tip 5
Monitor your progress.
Do → Review → Repeat.
The goal for any website is more than having a well designed and crafted online presence. What’s the point of having a nice house if no-one comes to visit, and no-one even stays.
Like any small business, and any website, the goal is to generate more leads and in-turn convert them to sales. So you need to track and monitor your progress of leads that turn into enquiries, that then convert into a sale.
We can help you set up Google Analytics that can tell you in great detail:
• Where each conversion comes from
• What’s the cost of each conversion
• What pages or content on your website generate the most interest and conversions
Squarespace also has some great website analytics built in, so when you connect up Google Analytics you can get a basic overview on how your new small business website is performing.
tip 6
Create the best user experience for your customers
The ultimate way to maximise conversions on your website is to design the website and content inline with your customers habits, goals and needs. Think about your ideal customer, and what they would be seeking when looking for a service or product like yours. When you do this your website will not only be an asset for your small business, but it will also be a lead converting and sale generating machine.
Make sure your web design layout is clean, intuitive and has a clear path for your visitors to follow.
The best user experience for your visitors is to give them the information they need before they need to search for it.
Understand what are the main questions your visitors will have around your product or service. ie. How much is it?, How long will it take? What’s your process etc.
What information do they need right now to help them make a decision to buy with you?
How can you answer their biggest concerns and objections as quickly as possible?
When you have the above covered, you’ll soon see how effective your Squarespace website is working for your small business.
tip 7
Be Mobile ready.
Right now, more than 50% of website users will visit your website on their smartphone or tablet, so it’s crucial your website design is mobile and tablet friendly for your small business. Research shows that if people using a mobile device come to a non-mobile optimised website they will spend less time on your website, engage with the content less, and are more likely to leave your website and go to your competitors that do have a mobile-friendly website design. Luckily Squarespace have mobile-friendly templates built-in to their platform, so your small business website will look incredible on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. Also, Google now penalises websites that aren’t mobile friendly. Google considers being mobile ready so important, that it will now make your website less visible in the search engine results if it is not mobile friendly.
tip 8
Choose a platform to manage your content.
The overall performance of your small business website is dependent on the platform it is built on. With so many DIY platforms out there, you should always consider the following when choosing the right website design platform for your business.
The website platform should be fast, and create SEO friendly pages and content structure
Modifying content for your website should be easy, intuitive and readily accessible from a mobile or tablet device
The platform should be well supported by a thriving community of user, who can provide tips, help and support when needed.
tip 9
Squarespace - Beautifully crafted design.
As your website is the front door to your small business, you need to make sure your site reflects your brand and the values you stand for. Engaging an experienced web design agency like Squarely, will make sure your small businesses image and reputation is in good hands.
As they say “You don’t get a second chance at first impressions” First impressions reflect the professionalism, style and trustworthiness of your brand. It is essential that your small business website design is engaging, unique and captures the visitors’ heart and mind.
Your small business web design should reflect your brand and look and feel like a place that a user would want to spend more time on.
Your website design should be more appealing than your competitors and should be easier to navigate, find information and purchase from you .
The website design and layout should be intuitive to navigate around, with all important information only 1 click away from finding.
Squarespace is an easy to use, and maintain platform which we have extensive experience with. With our tips and advice, when designed correctly and configured for optimum results, Squarespace will become one of your most valuable assets.
tip 10
Choose your small business website design agency.
Well you’ve made it this far! Now it’s time to choose the right web design company to help you build the right website for your small business.
Before choosing the right web agency for your business, it is essential that you not only look at the design companies work, but understand they match your criteria of what you’re looking for from an agency.
The web developer should have had extensive experience with Squarespace.
The web design company should have extensive design and branding experience to ensure the design side of your small business website is covered
Check with the web designer on how they plan to incorporate the above tips when designing your website.
After consideration, once you’ve chosen the web agency, trust in them that they’ll deliver an incredible website and web design for your small business.
