Once you create your small business site, you must take steps to keep it updated and fresh for your users. That means ensuring that your site remains effective, intuitive and easy to use. Thankfully, it does not take much time or money to bring out the best in your site. Here are several tips to help you optimize the look and feel of your online home.
Keep Navigation As Simple As Possible
When users land on their site, they should not feel overwhelmed by the content they see. It should feel as if they already know the ins and outs of your site from their initial visit. Aim for roughly five to seven main category pages on your site, such as About Us, Order Online and Contact Us.
Secure a Great Domain Name
While you can easily create a free site for your business, going the extra mile and buying your domain name outright can greatly benefit your small site. When deciding on a domain name, make it easy for consumers to spell, which means eliminating all slang terms and unusual words.
Keep your domain name short and sweet, and try to eliminate all hyphens and numbers, as they can be difficult to recall. You may also want to include your geographic location and industry keywords in your address for SEO purposes.
Make It a Breeze for Users To Contact You
Does your site currently have a live chat service? If not, consider adding it as soon as possible. If your users have questions or need help while navigating your site, you want them to have no problem getting the answers and finding the resources they need. Because you may have consumers who would rather not pick up the phone to call you with a simple question, include a contact form on your site that users can fill out and submit.
With live chat, users can connect with a representative who can offer answers on the spot without a phone call or form. Another benefit of live chat is it can help customers 24/7, better ensuring that you never miss an opportunity to make a sale on your site.
Rely on a Site Host With Great Tech Support
Unless you operate a tech business, you may be unfamiliar with the many things that can go wrong with a website. When you run into difficulties, you need quick answers and solutions to get your site back up and running. Do business with a website host known for offering top-quality tech support.
When choosing a site host, refrain from relying on a shared server where you share the server and its resources with others. One of the main disadvantages of such servers is that you could run into site performance issues if you or another user ever uses most of the server’s capabilities. Also, if another user falls victim to a hack, your site could become hacked, too. Dedicated servers are more secure, but they are also more expensive. A good middle ground is a virtual private server.
Add Reviews
As a small business, members of your target audience may be reluctant to try your products or services for the first time. You can make it easier for them to give you a chance by sharing reviews and testimonials on your site. Encourage your current customers to leave a few kind words about your services or products. When new site visitors see the reviews, it could convince them to make the leap and do business with you. Other than reviews, you can also share positive media coverage of your business, share some of your biggest clients or data related to your products or services that show their benefits and features.
Only Use Original Content
From your blog posts and product pages to your services pages and About Us page, every section of your site should be original content. You must realize that your site is instrumental in your business’s content marketing strategy, which means that you must properly harness it as the resource that it is. If it ever turns out that you plagiarized content, it could damage your professional reputation and make consumers and other businesses mistrust you, which is sure to harm your profits.
Take time to look over your site occasionally to ensure that it fulfills its potential. Just because you have a small business does not mean you cannot have a site with massive potential.
