If you run a small business, you’ll understand how difficult it is to attract new customers, on top of all the other demands on your time. Either you’re in a highly competitive industry and struggling to establish your brand or belong to a niche market that not many people know about. Whatever the case, it’s unlikely you have the time or resources to be investing in large-scale marketing campaigns.
Fortunately for you, in this digital day and age, all you really need is a good website to get your small business off the ground. Whatsmore, you don’t even need to build the website yourself! Just find a good web development company to do the hard work for you.
Why you need a website
Few people these days will need to be convinced that having a website is important for any company, regardless of size or industry. However, it’s worth running over a few statistics that indicate just what a website can do for your business — in both a positive and negative sense.
● 75 percent of users base the credibility of a business on how their website looks.
● It takes about 0.05 seconds for a user to form an opinion about a site’s visual appeal. Put two and two together and 75 percent of users are going to base the credibility of your business within 0.05 seconds of accessing your website. Yikes!
● 57 percent of consumers won’t recommend a website unless it has a mobile-friendly website.
● 88 percent of consumers won’t revisit a website following a bad user experience. You only have one chance to make a good first impression!
● 76 percent of consumers look for a company’s online presence before visiting a store in-person. No online presence — potentially no visitors!
What your website needs
It’s not enough to simply have a website. Your site needs to fulfil certain user expectations, all of which any good web development services team should be aware of. In fact, if you fail to meet these expectations, having a website could be doing your website more harm than good.
A few features to consider:
About us: Many people choose to shop with small businesses simply to support the local economy. Don’t be afraid to actively engage with these customers by openly advertising the fact that you’re a small or family run business looking to establish yourself in the market. This can be achieved by including an obvious “About us” page where you share the story of your business and what makes you stand out from your competitors.
Contact information: On the other hand, some customers might shy away from engaging with a small business because they’re under the impression that you don’t have the resources or personnel to deliver your advertised products and services. Make contact avenues — including email, phone, live chat, and social media — evident and ensure these channels are continually monitored.
High-quality images and design: If you have a somewhat limited budget, the one area you don’t want to skip out on is the quality of images. This is particularly true if you run an e-commerce store, where consumers are relying on photos to get an idea about your products. The catch-22 is that you don’t want to overload your site with too many high-definition images as you’ll risk negatively affecting site speed.
Call to action: It’s estimated that 70 percent of small business B2B websites lack a call to action, meaning clients arrive at your site and have no idea what they’re meant to do next. One of the main benefits of working with a professional web development company is they’ll understand exactly how to structure your site to clarify the user journey, thereby increasing conversions.
Links to social media: While anyone can set up a social media account, in the business world, they’re often taken as a sign of legitimacy — particularly if they contain posts going back many years. Having clear links to your company Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts can reassure users that you’re a functioning and trustworthy business.
Customer testimonials: Have some happy customers? Why not show them off! Studies show that 92 percent of customers read online testimonials before making the decision to buy, making this a simple and effective conversion strategy. Be aware that most potential customers will look for a balance of positive and constructive reviews for legitimacy, particularly in the e-commerce sector. If you only include the good stuff, you’ll likely turn more than a few customers away.
There’s no time like the present to either create or upgrade your small business website. Be sure to look for a web development company that has experience working with other small businesses, as they’re more likely to understand the challenges and opportunities you are currently facing.