3 Important Elements of Your Small Business Website
Don't’ forget to download my comprehensive web design guide:
#1 - Your website needs to be super easy to read, navigate and take action on
If it’s difficult to find essential information, or users don’t know how or where to take an action, they’re going to leave your website despite the fact that they could be a dream client. It’s a matter of seconds that you have to capture a visitor's attention and keep them reading and scrolling.
How to make your website easy to take action on:
Your home page should have a large and direct statement about what you do and who you work with so it’s the first thing they see. This should be the single most compelling thing they should know about you / your services. A photo of you is great at the top of your website as well!
Your navigation / links at the top of your website should be direct and clear so people can find the key information that you know they will be wanting like your services and contact information.
Make sure you have a contact button or link at the top of your website in the navigation so it appears on all pages.
Make sure to have your email address in the footer of your website so it appears on all pages.
#2 - Your website needs to build trust and relatability with users by showing your true personality
People want to buy from people so make sure that if you have funnels, automation and sales pages that it still feels personal and gives off the essence of your personality.
Your content needs to build a connection so people feel like you’re relatable. A designer friend of mine said it really well, your website is like a meet and greet, so make it personable and really reflects YOU.
Share your story so that people can identify with it (or not) to know if you’re going to be the right fit for them. This will also get you more aligned and quality leads.
#3 - Your website should be optimized for search engines based on specific modalities, services or locations so you reach the right kind of people
People who are searching on Google for your specific services or the results you get are much more qualified leads! They’re searching because they want what you have now, they’re ready to buy. So many people put all their energy into social media marketing which often means having to take strangers who are just scrolling for fun from a cold lead to convince them to buy. It’s VERY much worth it to invest some time and energy into SEO on your website because it’s much less work to get new clients and customers.
How to optimize your website for search engines:
Research your keywords based on your intuition, what clients are saying to you, using Google’s predictive text and / or setting up Google Analytics so that you can see what people are searching for when they find your website. (Don’t get too hung up on technicalities here. I think your intuition and what clients are saying will take you further than spending hours digging into analytics. That can come later when there’s a lot more data to use.)
Name your images before you upload them to your website using keywords. Names should be all lowercase with dashes to separate words. A few examples would be: “real-estate-investing-portland.png” “dietitian-in-boston.png” or “residential-builders-natick-ma.png”
Make sure that the main keyword phrase or title or each page of your website has a Heading 1 (aka H1) tag.
Adding fresh relevant content on a regular basis by updating existing pages, adding new pages and writing blogs is going to create that long-term compounding effect so that months and years from now, people are finding you via online searches.
I believe that we’re going to start seeing a major return to organic marketing after all being exhausted in the hustle of social media, which makes your website immensely more important than ever. Results don’t come instantly but if you start now, you’ll really start reaping the rewards over the next 6 months to a year. Who else is here for the slow, organic growth that still allows them to live their best life?!
If you’re interested in creating a website that acts as an effective marketing tool for your small business, be sure to reach out!