5 Elements Every Small Business Website Needs
Marketing for small business is a numbers game. Approach it with the right strategy, at just the right time, and you see measurable results. We're talking leaps and bounds in the amount of traffic landing on your site, and new customers finding their way to your door. Your marketing analytics will tell you you're doing everything right, and your ROI and profit margins will be in agreement. One of the most impactful influences of your small business marketing strategy is web design, and it's also where the small details really matter.
On the surface, the analytics connected to your small business web design seems pretty straightforward. With just one glance, you see how many people are landing on your site, where they're coming from, when they're engaging, and how long they hang around. All of this is crucially important info but these aren't the only measures of your digital success.
What's equally deserving of your attention is what happens once your audience lands on your site. How are they interacting? What's keeping them there? How can you keep them engaged?
The longer you keep visitors on your site, the better it is for your business on several fronts. Longer visit times boost SEO results because it signals to search engines that you're providing a positive user experience. Longer visits also give you more time to form connections, encourage conversions, and nurture customer relationships. The unsung hero in all of this is attractive, intuitive, high-performance web design.
Form, Function, and Aesthetics - Why They Matter for Small Business Web Design
Do you naturally feel a little uneasy at the mention of redesigning your website? Maybe you feel like the site design you've been working with for the last several years (or longer) is working just fine. "Fancying" it up with a modern makeover just doesn't feel aligned with your brand image or values.
It's a natural reaction. It's hard to let go of something that's technically working to take a chance on something new. The old saying "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind.
When we start talking about the importance of form, function, and aesthetics in your web design, we're not saying it's time to reinvent your brand (although it might be). The goal here is to gain a better understanding of how your approach to web design delivers your brand and appeals to the expectations of the modern consumer. This isn't about changing the entire look of your website but changing the focus to provide a more positive user experience.
At the end of the day, you have no more than a few seconds to make a strong enough impact and encourage each visitor to linger on your site. A website that is built with taking form, function, and aesthetics into the equation is going to provide an experience that sparks interest and keeps visitors engaged. Web design that lacks intuitive user features, is unattractive to look at, or is cluttered with elements that lack relevancy, or any real value fails to deliver the results you need. Why spend even a minute more promoting a web site that isn't serving the true needs of your business?
You don't need to completely reinvent your brand to have a powerful website that attracts, delivers, and converts. A simple website makeover that considered these 5 modern web design tactics is all you need.
Appreciate the Value of Homepage Real Estate
If your website is a couple years old, it was probably designed with an emphasis on the space "above the fold". This is a term used to describe the space that's immediately visible when a person lands on your website before they begin scrolling or navigating around. It makes sense to want to make as much of an impact as possible with that first visual contact.
It's still important to make a good immediate impression, but improvements in web design and technology have changed the focus. As more of your visitors are coming to you from mobile devices, we're seeing business lean towards scrollable home pages. We don't like to sit still, especially when we're on our phones. The natural urge to scroll means it's likely that your visitors aren't going to stay at that first landing point for long...meaning that "above the fold" isn't as relevant as it once was.
Instead of trying to pack as much as possible into space above the fold, opt for web design that considers our natural inclination to scroll and explore by breaking your homepage real estate into several key sections. As the visitor encounters an area of your homepage that captures their interest, they feel more inclined to stop and linger because there's less visual clutter to interfere with their attention. You're still making a strong first impression but each interaction becomes more impactful.
Speaking of Clutter
Visual clutter, especially on your homepage, is a sure way of turning away visitors to your website. We've all seen those websites that feel like an assault to your senses, and most businesses understand how this lacks value. What we're talking about here though, is something a bit more subtle. It's time to take a good look at your web design and consider if every element really serves a purpose.
Visual clutter on your website isn't always what you think it is. That random block of text that advertises one of your services but feels completely out of place in the center of your homepage is clutter. That awkward animation that got stuck in because you heard that interactive sites are more engaging is clutter. Those stock images that don't align with your brand or message are clutter.
It's time to take a cue from Marie Kondo here. If an element doesn't bring your visitors joy (meaning it does nothing to encourage engagement or fuel their movement to the next step of the customer journey) then it's time to say goodbye. If the intent isn't immediately obvious, if it doesn't spark some sort of movement, or it distracts the visitor from taking the steps you want them to take, then it doesn't belong on your website.
Taking a Deep Breath with White Space
Web design trends change quickly, leaving many businesses hesitant to make changes to keep up with the trends. Much like the classic black dress, there are some elements of web design that never go out of style and are worth the investment. In this case, we're talking about the breathability of a little white space on your web pages.
White space is a term we use to describe the areas of your web pages where nothing exists. No images, no text, no buttons, or icon. Just a bit of clean space that provides a space for the visitor's eyes to rest. White space is an opportunity to pause, breathe, and refocus. Sure, it sounds more like we're describing meditation here but there's a certain zen to effective web design.
White space is also key because, when used properly, it helps lead the visitor's eyes where you want them to go - such as in the direction of an opt-in offer or call to action.
Simplified Navigation
Have you ever been in a store where it was impossible to find what you were looking for? If you were lucky, maybe there was an employee that could help you, otherwise, you probably left empty-handed and frustrated. Websites that are difficult to navigate leave visitors with the very same negative impression and this makes it less likely that you'll see that same traffic again. When someone lands on a difficult to navigate site, they don't have the benefit of wandering around until they can find an employee to help.
A poorly navigated site gives off a bad impression of your business. If your site is this cluttered and difficult to use, what does that say about your business as a whole? Customers respect businesses that have put a little time and effort into providing them with a site that's easy to navigate. It's important to look at your site through the eyes of a first time visitor. Remove extra navigational points, streamline menu options, and consider how easy it is to move around your site from mobile devices, which are smaller and have tight navigational features.
Build It with Engaging Content
Content is your voice, and a content marketing strategy is essential to building a brand online and attracting customers. There's one fatal mistake that many small businesses make with their content. They focus only on the customer they want to attract, and not the one they want to keep.
A solid, successful content marketing strategy is built in layers so that it's engaging to all your website visitors, no matter what point they're at on their customer journey. It takes more resources to attract and convert a new customer than it does to nurture your existing customer base. Engaging content that keeps you on their minds and brings them back to you is exactly what's going to fuel growth for your business.
Great content also takes into consideration the evolution of your business. As your business grows and changes, so do your customers. Keeping pace with these changes by providing engaging, results-focused content is an integral part of a winning marketing strategy.
It's Time to Make Changes
Curious how a fresh, modern approach to web design can breathe new life into your business? You don't have to completely reinvent yourself to benefit from a fresh approach to web design. If you have questions or ideas, we'd love to talk and hear and them. Contact us today, and let's brainstorm about how together, we can make your small business stronger.
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