A website for your small business is an investment that will continue to have ROI for years to come. Any small business, whether a retail store, restaurant, personal service provider, etc., needs a website.
Your website is your digital badge of authority, and your website design is crucial to turning those potential customers who land on your site into your new clients. At Bethany Works®, this is precisely what we aim to do when we work with small businesses.
So, how do you build a strategic website that helps attract clients who are the right fit? Here are the elements you need.
Must-Have Elements for Your Small Business Website
Your small business website helps you build credibility and trust, and it should clearly convey why users should care about what you offer. If you want your small business website to generate sales, build customer loyalty, and for your potential customers to leave your website knowing precisely how you will help them, here are the elements your website needs:
High-converting CTA’s
Instead of having CTAs like “buy now” or “inquire here,” make your cta’s more genuine and personalized for your users. Include cta’s that speak directly to them and sound like something they would say if they were ready to purchase or take the next step.
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You want your cta’s to be action-oriented and inviting, pushing them one step further on their journey.
User-friendly design and simple navigation
Your website needs to be accessible on both desktop and mobile. Accessibility should never be overlooked in your website design! I know we all know this, but it’s worth mentioning only because I still see this not happening. Furthermore, user navigation should be effortless, and your website should have a clearly organized structure overall.
Additionally, your website should never be confusing. It should always be quick and easy for your clients to navigate through it and find exactly what they are looking for. Your user journey has several different aspects.
First, you want to ensure a clear hierarchy with your headings. Your website should be easy for your clients to skim through and still catch all of the important information you want to highlight.
Second, you want to ensure there are buttons throughout your site that guide your clients. It should never be difficult for your clients to navigate your pages, and they should easily be able to find your contact page.
Finally, you should always have a call to action at the bottom of all of your pages. This will help people navigate your site and stay engaged with your content.
Don’t have a million drop-downs
You can still have drop-downs on your website, but you don’t need an excessive number of them. Be mindful of the drop-downs you create, as many have poor design or don’t function properly, making them difficult to use. For any drop-downs you choose to include, always test them to ensure they work.
Design your website with your ideal client in mind
Your website is not about you – it’s about your ideal client. Guide your website visitors through a journey. Each page on your website should have a clear purpose. While you do want to mention you or your team on your website, it shouldn’t feel like the entire site is talking about you rather than to your client.
One main website goal
For most small business owners, your website’s goal is going to be to either a) get users to fill out your contact form, b) book your services, or c) buy your product.
In order to achieve this goal, everything on your site should lead people in the direction of your contact or product purchase page. The journey from first click to contact or purchase is the most important. Make this simple and intuitive.
Optimization of images, alt text, and keywords for local search
This is something I’ve seen overlooked when it comes to small business website design. You can easily set yourself apart from your competitors and rank for local search (if applicable) by optimizing your images, alt text, and keywords.
Even if you serve clients nationally or internationally, local SEO can still be valuable for establishing credibility and capturing nearby customers. You can approach local SEO in a branded way by creating location-specific content that reflects your brand personality and values.
Instead of generic “services in [city name]” pages, you can develop content that showcases your local community involvement or your unique perspective on your city’s culture.
Overall, a well-rounded SEO strategy for your website usually includes keyword research, high-quality content creation, and technical website improvements that help search engines, like Google, understand and trust your brand. These days, good SEO means good GEO (Generative experience optimization).
RESULTS THAT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
Download our case studies + client experiences to review the impact our website design and brand strategy services have beyond the stunning deliverables you’ll find in our portfolio.
Use real photos on your website
If you want to build trust and make sales for your small business, use real photos on your website, not AI-generated images. AI images hurt your business’s credibility and make your business feel (and look) robotic.
If you are a service-based small business, you need to get professional branding photos taken. Not a service-based business? My advice is to get product branding photography that shows your products in action.
Brand strategy + brand design
Branding matters because it helps you attract ideal clients (and deters the wrong ones). It is also what enables you to stand out in a noisy, competitive market and makes you and your small business memorable. The bottom line is that branding should be a non-negotiable for your business.
“Branding design” is the visual and strategic framework that defines how your business appears and feels to the world. Branding doesn’t stop at logos and colors, although they are important.
Strong brand identity design weaves together multiple layers, such as your brand story, mission, brand values, visual identity, and the emotions you want to evoke in your target audience.
When developing your brand strategy, focus on:
- Brand positioning and unique value proposition
- Target audience research
- Brand voice and messaging guidelines
- Visual identity (logo, colors, fonts, imagery style)
- Core values
- Customer experience
- Brand application guidelines across all platforms
In other words, multiple brand elements must come together for your brand to become unbreakable, in addition to the visual assets.
Ready to Build Your Website for Your Small Business?
Hopefully, this helps you as you work to build your website for your small business. Remember, your small business website is much more than “something nice to have” – it’s a powerful tool for attracting, engaging, and converting your dream customers.
If you are ready to take the next step and start building your small business website, I would love to talk with you. You can learn more about my brand and web design services here, or you can get in touch to talk about it 1:1 here!
