So here’s the thing: small businesses need to provide their users with a relevant online experience if they want to continue to attract and engage their audiences online. Do you know why? This is because the average website user is busy and easily distracted. This is why business owners must incorporate modern website design principles into their websites.

You may wonder, what key objective does this achieve?

Well, first, it creates a good user experience and keeps the website ahead of the competition while connecting them directly to their customer base through social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Without mincing words, it is common for small business owners to get confused because they need a website that generates leads and sales, but have little or no experience in web design and business. If you’re not a web design professional, that’s okay. In fact, most small business owners are not, which is why they work with a professional web development company like Slinky Web Design.

Every small business website should include several important elements in its web design strategy, and it’s helpful to familiarise yourself with the dos and don’ts. This will ensure that the website you create is suitable for your business.

What are the ideal elements of a small business website?

It doesn’t matter if you’re starting from scratch or already have a website, there are a few elements that should always be a priority on your business website.

1. A clear description of the products and/or services you offer

This may sound really obvious, right? It would interest you to know that this point is often overlooked. A lot of small businesses try to display information that is not immediately relevant to the user and this detracts from the main objective. When someone visits your website, they should understand what the website or page is about within seconds.

Do you want to know one harsh reality about business websites? We will tell you.

Once a user lands on your site, you only have 3-5 seconds to grab their attention. To make those few seconds count, focus on explaining two key things: what you do and how it alleviates the pain points your visitors are experiencing.

Once a user lands on your website, that’s the only thing they care about. When they see that you specialise in what they need and understand that need, they know they are in the right place. Only when they feel that way will they take the time to learn more about your business.

2. Easy-to-navigate website

Make sure visitors have clear and easy-to-use navigation on your website. What is the best way to achieve this? By infusing drop-downs in your navigation menu. This makes it easy for visitors to see your content, no matter what page they are on. Your navigation should be consistent, and organised, and allow visitors to find what they are looking for with just a few clicks.

3. Easily Located Contact Information

What more can you do? Well, make it easy for potential customers to contact your business. If you’re hard to reach, they’re likely to leave and go to a competitor who makes it easy for them. To help users get what they need, include your contact information in several obvious places, such as the top corner of the home page or the bottom or sidebar of each page.

Your contact information should be easy to find, but should also include multiple ways for visitors to contact you. These include:

• Phone
• Email
• Contact form
• Social media, etc.

It is also recommended to add a link to your address in Google Maps. When you offer various methods of communication, you give your website visitors the opportunity to contact you in any way.

4. Honest Customer Reviews

Honest reviews from past customers can help make your products and services more tangible. These testimonials can also help potential customers build trust in you, as they can confirm that what you offer meets their needs and that the experience was good.

5. Clear calls to action

Your website should be designed in such a way that it is clear to your visitors what you want them to do next, and you can do this with a variety of calls to action. So, what is that specific action you want them to take? Call for a free quote. Schedule an appointment. Sign up for your website newsletter to receive the latest product deals and offers.

Think about how you want visitors to interact with your site, then make the most of special elements. These include:

• Animated buttons
• Thoughtful landing pages
• Direct instructions, etc

Regardless of the function, it is important that the call to action is clear and catches the attention of the visitors.

6. High-quality content

Are you aware that your website is likely to be a visitor’s first point of contact with your business? This means that your website makes the first impression of your business. That’s why it’s important to not only give users what they’re looking for but also give them a reason to return to your site.

Simply put, you need to stand out, and that’s where original, well-written and valuable content comes in. Be sure to create relevant blog posts regularly and have your website linked to your social media accounts as well.

There are a few things to consider when creating blog posts for your website:

• Use short paragraphs with headings.
• Use bullets whenever possible.
• Emphasise important words or phrases.

7 User-friendly design

In general, people have short attention spans and most people don’t have the time or patience to learn about your website. They usually skim through the content of a web page and only slow down when they find information that interests them.

The best way to take advantage of this is to organise your website content in a way that is logical and easily accessible from a user’s perspective. It’s also important to use high-quality images and colours that complement your core messages.

Create Your Small Business Website Today

The reality is that website development trends change and small business websites need to be updated regularly. When you trust us at Slinky Web Design to design your website, you can rest assured that your website is tailored to your audience and business.

Kindly schedule a free consultation with us today to see what we can do to give your business the special online identity it deserves.