This morning I was driving home after dropping my daughter off at school, looking at all the small businesses along the highway. Some of them I frequent, some of them I’ve never set foot in. And being a marketer and web designer it got me thinking, “I wonder if these businesses have websites, and if they do I wonder if they’re any good? I wonder if they even think they need a website, or need to update it every now and then. I wonder if they’ve taken time to think through the customer journey…”
Do I Need A Website for My Small Business?
Pretty sure I answered that one already! You can get clients on word of mouth alone. You can provide an exceptional customer experience that helps the word spread. You can also handwrite invoices and collect payment by check. It absolutely can be done but that doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient way. You can make money without a website, but I think you’re doing yourself and prospects and clients a disservice if you don’t have one.
You are missing out on an opportunity to:
Be found by people who are looking for your service
Build authority and trust with potential customers
Provide a way for people to contact you
Provide an easy way to people to book your service/buy your product
Provide an easy way to people to pay you
Improve digital ads
A website isn’t just a pixel placeholder, it’s your business’s digital doorstep, where people are walking by and are either intrigued to come inside to find out more or to keep going.
People visit your website to decide if you're legit, to see what kind of impression they get about you and your business. Do you look professional? Do you have testimonials or reviews? Do you have photos of your work? What are other people saying about you? Are you trustworthy? Are you expensive or worth the value?
Your Business Website Doesn’t Have to Be Complex
The basics will go a long way in helping your business get found online, look professional, provide information, and create a great customer experience.
Here’s are the business basics I recommend:
A Business URL
You most likely already have your url, or website domain, but if not go buy it! It is not expensive to purchase a domain and privacy. We’re talking around $30 for most domains. And yes, purchase the privacy because it keeps your name and info out of public databases. I’ve purchased domain names through Bluehost, Siteground, and Wix but there other options out there. (Note, most Wix subscriptions throw in a free domain name for the first year.)
A Good Website Platform/Builder
There are a ton of website builders out there, but which one is right for you? I go into a bit more detail in this blog post.
The first question is, are you building the website yourself? Or do you plan to update content yourself? If so, use a builder like Wix, Showit, or Squarespace. They all make it very easy to customize a template or navigate the backend.
If you are paying someone else to build the website you extend your option to Wordpress. I would not build a website on Wordpress if I didn’t have previous experience in it because the learning curve is a lot and security is a must. You have to figure out hosting, set up security, find plugins, and that’s before learning how to design on it. It’s not easy or intuitive for the average person to design a site on Wordpress, in my opinion. Page builders like Elementor and Divi make it easier but you still have the backend and setup to deal with. But pay someone to build it, host it and manage it and it’s doable. It’s absolutely worth paying someone to manage updates and security for you because if you don’t pay attention to it you will most likely get hacked. I’ve seen it happen and it’s not fun.
Even if you choose to use Wix, Showit, or Squarespace I still think it’s worth paying a designer because they’ll be able to build your site faster and, in my case, can recommend best practices in SEO, copy, and aesthetics.
A Clean Layout
The easiest way to get a clean layout is to choose a clean template. When I say clean I mean uncluttered, nice balance of photos and text, well-organized sections. It is very easy to jumble up words and images and even blocks of content on a webpage if you’re not careful.
One thing I like about Wix is the dozens of premade templates that are suited for different industries. If you’re building a site for a restaurant or rental property your needs are different than a life coach or plumber. They have templates for all of the above!
Useful Sections
Now you want to fill in the template with content. Provide information about your services but try to keep the focus on the customer and the problems you’re solving. Hopefully the template you choose has the following sections, but if not this is what I’d recommend so you include:
Header/Hero Section
The hero section is the very top of the page, the first thing that people see. It should quickly explain who you are, what you do, what benefit the customer will get from choosing you and how to contact you.
Services
A Services section goes into a bit more detail of your product or service, and the problems you solve. This can be expanded into a standalone page so you can go into more detail.
About
An about section talks about company ownership or the team, history, mission, etc. You can include a few lines on the homepage but save any detail for a standalone about page.
Testimonials
Customer quotes, testimonials, and before/after photos are powerful so as soon as you get them put them on your website! I like using a slide or carousel so you can show 1-2 testimonials at a time while giving readers a button to click through more if they want to see more.
Contact Form
Whatever you do, make sure you have a way for people to contact you! Some companies aren’t setup to take phone calls, so include a contact form or an email. If you do accept phone calls make sure you list your business hours. If you have a physical location, include your address, embed a google map and list any additional directions that would be helpful such as where to park or how to find your office in a business complex.
Wix makes it simple to create forms plus, if you download the Wix app to your phone you will get those forms as soon as they’re submitted so you can quickly respond.
Other Helpful Features and Tips
Photos
I always recommend actual photos of your team, work, building, or products but if you don’t have many of those, stock photos can work. I’ve used Shutterstock, istock, and Adobe Stock to find professional photos. They can especially be useful as background photos in a header image or content bar. Another perk of Wix, they offer free stock images and video.
Fonts
Keep it simple. Use easy-to-read fonts and limit it to 2, maybe 3 if you’re using the third sparingly for callout quotes or decorative headings. Choose fonts that match your branding or other marketing materials.
SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It's the keywords you strategically add, among other things, to improve the odds of Google showing your website in search results. Wix has a good SEO guide to make sure you're adding meta descriptions, alt texts, and title tags. If you're using Wordpress make sure to get a plugin like Yoast to accomplish the same thing.
Email Collection Form
Have an email newsletter? Provide a form on your website that allows people to subscribe to your emails or text. Some people like to provide a lead magnet to entice people to hand over their email addresses. If you have useful content you can package into a checklist or booklet, or if you’re offering a discount for providing email, link it to a subscription form.
I've tried to narrow it down to the basics, but it can still be overwhelming to work on your own website. The most important thing is to get started. Put something out there and course correct as you can if you're strapped for money or time in the beginning. As you grow, invest in a designer and marketing pro to help you uplevel your brand while also freeing up your time so you can focus on your customers!
Let's Get That Website Done!
If you're a small business, solopreneur, or nonprofit I'd love to help you get a website that not only looks great but provides an exceptional customer experience. I can build a beautiful and functional website for your business in as little as a week.