When you create a business you are proud of (and one with which you are personally connected), remaining neutral when creating a business website can be tough. It is important to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think about what they would want to see from your website when first landing on it, and this might not be the design or layout you would want yourself. Being subjective when creating your business website, and following key steps, is important if you want a website that is both found and enjoyed.
Why is a Business Website so Important?
In this digital age, having a business website is an absolute must. You then want to work hard driving traffic to your website in order to improve your online presence and sales. A professional business website is so important because it is an extension (and reflection) of your brand, business personality, and your product or service.
A business website may be a place for customers to place orders, learn more about you, or both. It is a place to be informed and entertained by your brand, and a site consumers will actually enjoying spending time on.
An 8 Point Checklist for Your Business Website
Here are 8 must-haves when designing and creating your business website. It is also important, after planning to include the following points, that you double-check that they are loading and working correctly overall, for the best visitor experience.
1. Easy Navigation
Any website which is failing to make sense, difficult to navigate, or not answering a visitor’s query quickly enough can be all it takes to lose a potential customer. If the navigation of your site is too complex, you are at risk of visitors simply clicking away and finding another business, especially if you couple difficult navigation with slow loading times.
Make your headings and tabs as clear as possible and use drop-down menus where necessary for extra information.
2. Professional-Quality Images
Whether it is product pictures, general images, or just your logo, all website photos need to be of a professional quality, if you want your business to be perceived as professional, too. In some cases, the clarity of images will be vital, such as with product photos. By showing clear images, you are helping visitors to trust the information you are providing and showing that you care about the quality of information.
3. Accessibility
Many businesses can easily forget about accessibility on their website, as discussed with these accessibility stats. Making your business site accessible is not only vital for allowing all visitors — including those who are disabled — to have access to the same information, but also so that you can set yourself apart from competitors who do not have accessible sites.
To make your site more accessible, think about those using screen readers, including descriptions and alt text for images, and enabling font size to be adjusted easily.
4. Mobile Friendly
The majority of consumers and internet browsers these days will opt for mobile shopping and browse while searching on the go. Having a mobile-friendly site is a must for those businesses wanting to ensure they can connect with their target market on all devices.
If your business website is not optimized for mobile phone browsing, this can result in issues with your website loading and may cause frustration in website visitors if pages are not loading or if they cannot view your website on their phone.
5. About Us Section
It is always great for consumers to learn more about who you are, and why you started with your business, especially if you are a new business looking to increase its online presence. Be found by the right people and improve initial sales by being transparent with your personal story and letting people know a little bit more about you – it will make a positive difference.
6. Blog Section
Always be sure to keep your website fresh and ever-evolving by using blogs and articles to entertain and inform. Having a dedicated blog section will help website visitors to know where to look for your latest blogs. You may also want to link your blog section to your homepages, such as with links and a slideshow, to reveal the latest news and information on your home landing page.
7. Relevant Domain Name
The domain name you use for your business site can help your SEO and internet ranking in a positive way if you use words and a domain applicable to your product and service. A domain name ideally should be clear, the name of your business, and highly relatable to what you do. When it comes to domain names, simple is best for easy typing and to avoid potential spelling mistakes.
8. Clear Contact Details
Even if you primarily do business in one fashion — such as an online store only, or physical store only — try to provide as many contact details as possible on your website. This should aim to include:
- At least one telephone number
- A contact email address
- A contact form can be filled out through the website
An official business address (you may want to include the main office address as well as a store address, if applicable)
The best mailing address for writing to you
Your contact details should be displayed clearly on a designated page and easily found. If you do enough successful marketing for your target market to land on your website, you want to make sure that they can then easily find your contact details if they want to make an inquiry. If your contact details are not easily found, this may deter them and result in them looking elsewhere.
It is always a good idea to put contact details as a header or footer on every website page, as well as a more detailed contact page.
To Conclude
If you want an engaging, well-thought-out, and inviting business website for your target market, make sure to have these 8 points as the foundation of your website and always make sure they are there. Add interesting and updated content through blogs, but always make sure that whatever you add to your website is high-quality, professional, and relevant.
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