Top Tips to Take Your Small Business Website Design to the Next Level
Are you ready to take your small business website design to the next level? Designing an effective website is essential for any small business looking to make a big impact online. But with so many design options out there, it can be tough to know where to start.
Luckily, we’ve put together some top tips to help you take your small business website design to the next level. From ensuring your site is mobile-friendly to using engaging visuals, follow our advice and you’ll be sure to create a web presence that will wow your customers and help boost your bottom line.
Keep It Simple
Your website doesn’t need bells and whistles to be effective. In fact, too many elements can actually detract from your message.
Keep your small business website design clean and simple so that visitors can easily find what they’re looking for. High-quality visuals, clear headings, and a concise copy will go a long way in making your website more user-friendly.
Use Negative Space
Negative space is the areas of your web page that are left blank. This may seem counterintuitive, but using negative space can actually make your design more visually appealing and easy to navigate. When used correctly, negative space can help draw attention to specific elements on your page and guide visitors through your content.
Use Contrasting Colours
Using contrasting colours is a great way to make your website more visually interesting and easy to read. High contrast can be especially helpful for visitors with low vision.
If you’re not sure which colours to use, a colour wheel can be a helpful tool. Simply find two colours that are opposite each other on the wheel, such as blue and orange. These colours will create a high-contrast design that is easy on the eyes.
Stick to Typography Basics
Your website’s typography says a lot about your brand. It should be legible, easy to read, and consistent with the rest of your site’s design. Serif fonts (Times New Roman, Georgia) are generally better for body text because they’re easy to read in smaller sizes.
Sans serif fonts (Arial, Verdana) are typically used for headlines and subheadlines because they have a cleaner look. Plus, both web-safe fonts (fonts that are pre-loaded onto all computers) and Google Fonts are free to use, so you don’t have to worry about licensing fees.
Use Call-To-Action (CTAs) Sparingly
Your call-to-action is what you want visitors to do when they come to your site—make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, download a white paper, etc.
A CTA should be included on every page of your website, but beware of using too many CTAs or placing them in irrelevant places.
This can come across as pushy and could hurt your conversion rates. Instead, focus on creating one strong CTA per page that is relevant to the content on that particular page. And be sure to place it in an easily visible spot so that visitors can’t miss it!
Use High-Quality Images
Including images on your website is a great way to break up the text, add visual interest, and engage visitors. But it’s important to use high-quality images that are relevant to your brand and your message.
Stock photos can be tempting, but they often look contrived and can actually do more harm than good. If you don’t have professional quality images of your own, consider hiring a photographer or using free stock photos websites like Unsplash and Pexels.
Optimise Your Website for Mobile Devices
Responsive design is the ability of a website to adjust its layout and content to fit different screen sizes – from desktop computers to mobile phones.
With over 60% of internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, it’s more important than ever to have a website that looks great and functions well on all devices.
If you’re not sure if your website is responsive, you can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check.
Incorporate Video
Video is a powerful way to engage visitors and promote your brand. In fact, including a video on a landing page can increase conversions by 46%.
If you’re not sure how to incorporate video into your small business website design, start with a short welcome video that introduces your business or a product demo video that shows visitors how your product works.
You can also add video testimonials from satisfied customers or a company overview video to give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at your business.
Include Customer Testimonials
Customer testimonials are a great way to build trust and credibility with potential customers. If you have any positive reviews or case studies from happy clients, be sure to include them on your website.
If you don’t have any testimonials yet, reach out to some of your best customers and ask if they’d be willing to write a few sentences about their experience working with you.
You can even embed Google Reviews in your website to showcase your positive customer feedback.
Make It Easy to Contact You
Your website’s contact information should be easy to find and include all the different ways visitors can get in touch with you – phone number, email address, mailing address, social media links, etc.
If you have a brick-and-mortar location, be sure to include a map so that visitors can easily find you. And if you offer services in a specific geographic area, be sure to mention that on your contact page.
Make Your Website Easy to Navigate
Your website should be easy to navigate, even for first-time visitors. That means creating a clear hierarchy and using consistent naming conventions for your pages and navigation menus
It also means using clear and concise text for your links so that visitors know where they’re going to be taken before they click. For example, a link that says “Click here to learn more” is more effective than a link that simply says “Learn more.”
Use Analytics to Track User Behaviour
Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track your website traffic and measure your conversion rates.
It’s important to keep an eye on your website analytics so that you can see how visitors are interacting with your site and make changes accordingly.
For example, if you see that users are having trouble finding a particular page on your site, you can make adjustments to your navigation or add clearer text links to that page.
A/B Testing Your Website Design
A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a method of comparing two versions of a web page to see which one performs better.
You can use A/B testing to test different design elements, like the colour of your call-to-action button or the placement of your opt-in form. By making small changes and testing them against each other, you can gradually improve your small business website design and increase your conversion rates.
Keep Your Website Design up To Date
Your website is a reflection of your business, so it’s important to keep it up-to-date with the latest information about your products or services.
That means regularly adding new blog posts, case studies, or other types of content to keep your site fresh and relevant. It also means updating your small business website design on a regular basis to make sure it’s looking its best.
Use Heatmaps to Track User Behaviour
A heatmap is a graphical representation of where users click on your website. They’re a valuable tool for tracking user behaviour and understanding what visitors are interested in.
There are many different types of heatmaps, but some of the most common are click maps, which show where users click on a page, and scroll maps, which show how far down the page users scroll.
Use Pop-Ups Sparingly
Pop-ups can be effective at driving conversions, but they can also be annoying for users if they’re used too frequently or inappropriately.
If you do use pop-ups on your website, make sure they’re relevant to the user and appear at an appropriate time, like after a user has been on your site for a certain amount of time or when they’re about to leave.
Use Social Proof to Increase Conversions
Social proof is the idea that people are more likely to convert if they see that others have already done so.
There are many different ways to use social proof, but some of the most common include testimonials, customer reviews, and social media widgets.
Personalise Your Website for Your Target Audience
Personalisation is the process of tailoring your small business website design and content to appeal specifically to your target audience.
This can be done in a number of ways, but some common methods include using personalisation tags (like the first name) in your copy, showing relevant content based on user behaviour, and tailoring the layout of your small business website design to different types of users.
Use an Attention-Grabbing Headline
Your headline is one of the first things visitors will see when they land on your website, so it’s important to make it count.
Your headline should be attention-grabbing and relevant to your target audience. It should also be clear and concise so that visitors know exactly what they’re going to get when they read your content.
Test Your Small Business Website Design
Once you have a new small business website design, it’s important to test it out to make sure everything is working as it should.
That means testing all the links and buttons on your site to make sure they’re working, checking your forms to make sure they’re submitting properly, and testing any other functionality on your site.
No one likes a small business website design that seems broken or difficult to use, so make sure you take the time to test your site before you launch it.
Optimise Your Website for Search Engines
If you want your website to be found by potential customers, you need to optimise it for search engines.
That means doing things like including relevant keywords in your content, optimising your website’s title and meta tags, and creating backlinks to your site.
Make sure your website loads quickly by optimising images and design elements. Prioritise speed without sacrificing the quality of your content so that potential customers can find what they need on your site and make a purchase.
Hire a Professional Website Designer
If you’re not confident in your ability to design a high-converting website, it may be worth hiring a professional website designer.
A good small business website designer will have experience creating websites that are both visually appealing and effective at driving conversions. They’ll also be able to help you with other aspects of your website, like search engine optimisation (SEO) and content marketing.
Final Thoughts
There are many different factors that go into designing a high-converting website. But by following the tips in this post, you can create a website that is both visually appealing and effective at driving conversions.
If you’re not sure how to design a website that will bring in tons of business, look no further than Sanders Design. We know exactly what it takes to create an effective website because we have years of experience under our belt. Plus, small businesses are our speciality!
Have more questions about small business website design? Get in touch with us today for a no-cost consultation to help get your website started on the right foot.
