10 Top Tips on Website Design for Small Business Owners

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Less than half of Canadian small businesses have a dedicated website, according to a 2013 study conducted by Royal Bank of Canada

It’s a shocking statistic. Especially when you consider the majority of Canadians use the web to research and shop for just about any product or service.

Businesses without an online presence are giving themselves a heavy penalty.

If you’re one of those small businesses who has yet to take the leap, or you feel yours could use a lift, here are 10 tips to help you design an appealing – and revenue-generating – website.

1: Pick the right CMS (content management system)

The days of hiring an HTML programmer (and calling them back every time you need a minor change) are long gone.

Today, most small businesses start with a content management system. A good CMS offers:

• A friendly interface that lets non-techies manage and update their website.
• Consistent navigation and visual design, through templates. Your chosen design and navigation are automatically generated when you add a new page, such as a blog post.
• The opportunity to create a responsive design for your site – so that the site presents well and is easy to navigate regardless of the device used – desktop, smartphone or tablet.

There are many CMS choices, varying in complexity and capabilities. Generally, the greater choice/capability, the more complexity.

2: Use intuitive, clear and simple navigation

When someone lands on your website, make it easy for them to find what they want. Studies show that if you don’t, they leave.

The most respected, quoted website design book ever is probably Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug:

• Don’t make your visitors think. Put your navigation at the top of each page and keep it intuitive, clear and simple. Make it easy for visitors to get what they want.
• Use headings and sub-heads on each page. That way, your visitors can scan (people don’t read on the web, they scan); the info they seek will pop out at them.
• In short, pretend your grandmother is visiting your site. Design it with her in mind.

3: Emphasize what makes your business unique

According to this Forbes article you have 5 seconds to get your value proposition across when a user enters your site. Most websites fail the 5-second test.

Make sure yours doesn’t. Your website needs to make it crystal clear what your business offers and how you are different. The simplest way is through a bold, brief (20 words maximum) front-and-centre statement on your homepage.

4: You can’t please all of the people, all of the time

Joanne Wiebe,  a Victoria-based copywriter, says, “If you try to please a select few, you just might. If you try to please everyone, you please no one.”

Instead, identify your preferred target market. When you design your website, design and write it for that particular market. And no one else.

5: Write for living breathing people

Keywords and SEO are important. But if you try to write for the search engines, you’re likely to turn off the people visiting your site. And with all of the Google algorithm changes, you will likely annoy the search engines, too.

Write for real people. Make your copy easy to read. Use a large font and a lot of white space.

Most people scan most web pages. Make it easy for them. Use headlines, sub-heads, lists and bolding.

6: A picture is worth 1,000 words

Don’t clutter your website with images. Instead, use images selectively to create a visually appealing website and to draw attention to important points.

Stock photos are affordable and usually the best choice for a small business. But try to select ones that help your business stand out from others in your industry and convey a meaningful message.

7: Put it above the fold

Above the fold is the upper half of the front page of a newspaper where an important news story or photograph is often located. Papers are often displayed to customers folded so that only the top half of the front page is visible.

In website design, above the fold refers to the portion of a page that’s immediately visible in a browser window. Below the fold is the section of the page that requires scrolling to be seen.

When designing your site, put the most important information above the fold, so that visitors see it immediately.

8: Incorporate calls-to-action

In marketing, a call to action (CTA) is an instruction to the audience to provoke an immediate response, usually using an imperative verb such as “call now to find out more” or “visit a store today”.

The most common CTAs on websites are phrases such as Buy Now, Get a Quote, and Learn More. They can be text-based or used as graphical elements on a CTA button.

Thoughtful placement of CTAs throughout your site helps guide visitors to content that converts them into customers – and makes it easy for them to find the information they’re looking for.

9: Forfeit the Flash

Once upon a time, websites used Flash for visual appeal. Today, iOS mobile devices and Androids don’t support Flash.

Flash sites are typically slow and unresponsive. And if that’s not enough to convince you, Google is coming down hard on sites that rely heavily on Flash, particularly on mobile search. When Google senses a user is searching from a smartphone, and the search result uses Flash, the primary link to the site will be deactivated.

10: Include your contact information

Burying contact info is a surprisingly common mistake. Make it easy for visitors to find. Many experts recommend having your phone number in the header of every page, at the top right.

Start now!

Many business owners fail to build a website because they are daunted by the degree of choice, complexity, and cost. Don’t be! Start by checking out a few competitor sites to get ideas. Then create a simple site that makes it clear what you offer and is easy for you to use. Every three months, set aside time to do a review and think about what you might add or improve.

Did you know 411.ca advertising packages include website development, including a personalized domain and a mobile friendly site? Sign up for a free consultation HERE 

Contact:

Jessica Miller – Marketing Coordinator

Twitter/@411_ca | Facebook/411ca

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