Nowadays, a Small Business Website Design Needs Much More Than a Basic Layout to Be Effective

Getting a website isn’t hard. If you think about it, everyone has a 13-year-old cousin that built a personal website to blog about her current middle school drama. Of course, she used some sort of free website builder online and just used random clip art for her graphics. It’s cute and a little entertaining to read, but it’s certainly not at a level of professionalism a business website design needs to be. After all, she’s only 13 and just needs something to do. Your small business website has a purpose.

The overall purpose of your small business website design is to get your company found online by people who are searching for a product or service that you provide. That being said, your website must be built to be your best salesperson.

Tone, content, branding, and overall design must be visually and informatively consistent to appeal to your audience. This may sound like a lot to consider when you’re just wanting to get your local business found within the area.

 

The Smallest Design Details Really Do Make a Difference

A lot of small businessowners assume that just having a website is enough to get their business rolling, but the reality is that there is much more that must go into a site for it to be effective. It’s the minor design details on your website that can make all the difference in how much business you receive.

To give a better idea about what your small business website needs to have in order to be successful, we have listed a few website design elements that every small business website needs to have, no matter what type of business operation you have.

 

Your Website Content Needs to Tell Why Your Business is Unique

Businessowners are always trying to find the best ways to make their site SEO-friendly and make it work for local search. Even though the content on your site does need to work for search purposes, your site also needs to speak to your human audience- the actual customers that are reading your page.

[RELATED: SEO Copywriting: Writing for Man and Machine]

Your content should speak to your audience in a way that they will understand and make them interested in what you’re selling. What makes your business stand out from the competition? Why should someone choose your company over another?

These are questions that your website copy and overall content should answer.

 

Quality Web Design That Sets the Tone of Your Entire Brand

When a person clicks on your website, they’re looking to see if your local business is the one that can solve their problem or give them what they want.  Even if the content on your page seems compelling enough, no one is going to read it if the site looks outdated or doesn’t match the tone of your brand.

[RELATED: When to Know It’s Time for a Website Redesign]

Here’s an example: Let’s say your business sells homemade candles with relaxing scents and aromas. You want a website that sets the tone of your company and its brand with colors like lavender or a mocha brown.

However, your brother-in-law who wants to build the website suggests colors are a viscous red and black like a black widow spider and graphics created in 1995 to give it a more classic look. Doesn’t sound like a very appealing website for a candle making company that focuses on creating relaxing candles, does it?

In fact, that doesn’t sound like a good website for really any company. Instead, you want your small business website design to personify your company and brand in the most appropriate way. These elements include the right color tones, font, and graphics.

 

In Addition to Being Visually Appealing, Your Site Needs to Have Mobile-Responsive Web Design

A large portion of local searches is done on mobile devices. Therefore, if you want to catch the attention of those mobile users, you need a mobile-responsive website. What makes a website mobile-friendly is that the site is just as easy to read and navigate through on a phone screen as it would be on a desktop screen.

[RELATED: 3 Ways Responsive Design Can Get You More Customers]

Your small business website needs to be readable on a phone without the user having to zoom in. It also needs a navigation that’s seamless and easy to use no matter which device or screen size a person is using. Customers who find websites easy to navigate through on their smartphone will be more likely to stay on your page, meaning they are more likely to buy from you.

 

And Finally, Have a Clear Call to Action (CTA) to Motivate People to Take the Next Step

What is often forgotten on a small business’s website design is a clear call to action. Your website is meant to sell potential customers on your business. When you have them hooked, you tell them what they can do with the information that you just provided.

A clear CTA that encourages potential customers to subscribe to your newsletter, visit your social media pages, or even call your business for a free consultation will make a big difference in how many people take that next step.

In fact, inviting people to contact your business will make people feel more inclined to do so. No matter how obvious your website’s sales pitch is, have call to actions and a link for where they can take that next step.

[RELATED: The Online Marketing Sales Funnel]

The more user friendly your website’s design features are, the more appealing your business will be to consumers, and in turn, more revenue for your small business.

 

So, What’s the Next Step?

No matter how big or small your business website is, having these design elements on your site will make the greatest difference in your sales revenue. A website that is not up to date or appealing to a company’s brand and target marketing is probably costing you more money than you are receiving from it.

[RELATED: Is Your Website Working as Hard as It Could for You?]

If you are wanting to increase your return on investment (ROI), give Catapult Creative Media a call to schedule a free consultation. We not only create high-quality websites for small businesses, but our creative engineers also help your business create an effective marketing strategy to increase your brand’s awareness online.

Don’t let your potential customers continue to slip away! Call Catapult today at 225-590-3310.

 

Ashley Boudreaux is a Digital Analyst for Catapult Creative Media. She is an LSU graduate with a B.A. in Mass Communication and a minor in French. In her free time, she enjoys visiting petting zoos and climbing trees.

Work with Catapult Creative Media Inc. Catapult Creative Media Inc. is a digital marketing and design agency serving clients over the United States but is proud to call Baton Rouge, Louisiana home. Founded in 2007, Catapult provides digital, social and mobile marketing solutions backed by relevant strategy and measurable results. Catapult works the web to their clients’ advantage, launching them to their next level of success.