Small Business Website Tips
This is a contributed post from Ellie Jo sharing small business website tips.
When you’re running a small business, every dollar counts. So you don’t want to spend your hard earned cash on a website that isn’t working for you. And even if your online presence is good, there’s always a way to make it better.
There are plenty of websites that look good on the surface, but lack the knowledge and expertise to help a business grow. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend more money to rebuild your website to make it work better for your business.
Here are 8 simple ways to upgrade your website and make it work harder for your small business.
Your Customer Comes First
In business, customers make the world go round. So your website should be a magnet to them. The way it looks and sounds should be targeted specifically to your chosen client base.
Before you rewrite your whole webpage, get a handle on your target audience. A simple way to do this is to research direct competitors. See what they’re offering and how they market that to the masses. And then do better than them. Offer more and word it in a way that will have customers coming back.
Upgrade Your Content
Your website is only as good as the content on it. And the way content is used online has transformed over the past decade. Everything on your website should be written with SEO (search engine optimization) in mind. You want to pop up in search categories as often as possible.
Research terms that are most commonly searched in your market. Then use them as titles for a webpage that works hard to direct more customers to your offering. Don’t hesitate to search online for more information regarding SEO. It can take some time to get a handle on it. But it’s well worth your time for the rewards it can potentially reap.
Make sure everything you write is useful and up to date (this is something we at ChaChingQueen are actively focused on). Avoid too much jargon as it can put off people new to the sector. The aim is to become a trusted voice in your community. And your content can do that for you.
Utilize Those Reviews
There is no better tool for a small business than its customers. Particularly if they are repeat customers who’ve come to trust you and your product. So it’s about time you use them to help your website work harder for you.
Reviews from happy shoppers waxing lyrical about the excellent product or speedy service you provide will help convert potential customers on the fence. Make sure the reviews are up to date and show what customers are saying right now. And you’ll soon see the difference a few choice words in your favor can make.
Always Stay Professional
You would be surprised by how quickly a customer decides whether or not they’re going to purchase from you. And that decision is often made solely on the way your website looks. Unprofessional photography or outdated web page themes can put off even the most steadfast customer.
Keep your website design simple and clean. But make sure to have plenty of well-taken photographs. People want to see the product. They don’t want to leave anything to chance. Keep content to a minimum and leave plenty of white space, so your photos stand out for the right reasons.
Keep In Contact
Making it easy to contact, you can transform a disgruntled customer into a satisfied one. And making it difficult to get in touch with your business will have the exact opposite effect.
Get rid of outdated contact forms and opt for a simple one-click contact option. If you have the manpower to run it, a live chat feature is often the best route to go down. That’s because, in today’s online age, people often don’t want to talk on the phone. They want quick and straightforward solutions. If that’s not an option for you, just ensure that your contact email and number are easy to find on the website.
Make sure to have a thorough and simple-to-navigate FAQ page. It’ll reduce the number of people getting in touch with you by providing them with the answer they need straight away.
Embrace Social Media
Social media is here to stay. It’s so much a part of our everyday lives that many wake up and go straight onto Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter to check out the latest updates. That’s why it should be integrated into your website.
Like Google, social media platforms are a way for people to search out new businesses and products. And they’re a way for people to give you free marketing. Not to mention that using social media opens up another channel of communication between you and your customer. Both for ease of contact and as an excellent tool for data collection to grow your budding empire.
Engaging followers through content and offers on social media will get you more website traffic.
Know Your Numbers
These great website updates will fall by the wayside if you don’t know your business inside and out. And that includes your website. Take time to understand how many people navigate onto your website. Find out how they got there and what they did while browsing your online wares.
These sorts of numbers are a must-know. They give you a real insight into how well the business is doing. And the areas that have plenty of room for improvement. If your business is going to grow, you need to know your numbers.
Track The Changes
Building the website is one thing. And knowing your numbers before you even get started is another. Now you need to track the effect those changes have had on website traffic to move forward.
This is where analytics come in. Now getting into the nitty-gritty details of how well your online presence is doing can feel daunting. And often, you might assume it’s expensive. Thankfully, there are free options out there. Google Analytics is a great place to start crunching numbers and how they change, thanks to your website updates.
Final Thoughts On Small Business Website Tips
Making all of these changes to your website will make it work much harder for you. You’ll get more leads, higher sales, and be able to build a loyal client base. But it can feel overwhelming. Remember, even one small change will improve your online presence. So start small and build on that.
The key to making your small business website work harder for you is to measure, optimize, and repeat. Measure how well it’s performing currently. Then, optimize it to work better. And continue this cycle. That way, you’ll always stay ahead of the competition. And your customers will always come back for more.
