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Business owners who need a website can find the web design process challenging to grasp. But this article can help small business owners figure out the essential elements that their website needs to become competitive in their space. These critical features can ensure that your potential customers have a good experience on your company’s website. After all, the website is the main hub of your digital presence, as Active Resource correctly points out.
A Website Roadmap That Makes Sense
All small business owners want beautiful websites. However, it’s crucial that your customers find your website useful. You and the web designer should get together to figure out how the website will work for visitors. Run the sketches by a few people to ensure that the site architecture is intuitive.
Vital Company Information
The mistake that many small business owners make with their websites is focusing on flashy design elements like music playing when the site uploads or a robust “about” page. Meanwhile, they neglect important details such as directions and contact information.
When it comes to conveying information, keep the text to a minimum. Physical businesses in all industries share the need to provide a map or directions. Other information you will need to provide will depend on your field. For example, restaurants should have their menu and locations on their websites while online stores should have high-quality pictures of the products on their site. Those who have companies in the service industry should include testimonials from satisfied customers. Customers have short attention spans, so don’t overload them with excess information that they won’t need to interact with your company.
Contact Information
We all have visited a site where it took a long time to get to the company’s contact information. Studies have shown that people searching websites will quickly leave if they can’t find their desired data. Put your company’s contact information in the website’s footer. This crucial data should also have its own page on your company site whenever possible.
Strong Navigation
A business website needs easy-to-understand navigation. Name your site pages with words that make senses, like “home” for the home page, “contact” for your business contact information, or “Staff” for employee bios.
Site Security
Websites who sell products and services online need what’s known as an SSL certificate. This certificate encrypts financial communications that take place on your site (some examples include Social Security numbers and credit cards) so that customers know that their data is safe.
A lot of small business owners may be tempted to get fancy when it comes to their website design. However, doing things like having media play when the site uploads and using Flash on your website will not only slow down your website; it will also alienate your customers. Remember, when it comes to business websites, using complex design elements in moderation is key.
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