When you have a small business, you’ve got to get online — no excuses.
The benefits of a small-business website are numerous, but the bottom line is that today’s customers expect it. They’re most likely to head online for comparison shopping, so you want to make it easy to find your business instead of your competitors. When people do visit your website, you want to make a good impression with the nashville web design.
To make that positive first impression, you’ll have to create your website thoughtfully. You don’t want just any website; you want a website that actually supports your business goals and gives your website visitors the information they need.
The good news is that doesn’t require any technical skills; it simply means planning ahead. We’ll walk you through how to plan and then build a website that will strengthen your business.
Website Content
What information will you include on your website?
Before you do anything, you need a plan. And a good place to start is to plan what you want your website to say.
Basic Info
Include your contact information, ideally on every page of the website, such as on the footer or in a sidebar. If your business has a physical location, you should also include your business address and hours.
Your Value Proposition/Sales Pitch
Write a brief summary of what your business does, what value it offers to customers, and what makes it stand out. This summary should reflect the messaging architecture and market research you worked on for last week’s homework. That messaging should also be reflected throughout the site, particularly on the homepage and other key pages.
Product and Service Details
In addition to the summary of your business, provide details about your products and services. This might include a collection of product pages or a portfolio section showcasing your previous work.
Call to Action
Every page or section of your site should have a clear call to action (CTA) that directs the user what to do next. For your small-business website, the goal is likely to direct the user to making a purchase from your business. Common CTAs include “Contact Us,” “Sign Up,” “Get Started,” “Join,” or “Start Your Free Trial.”
Tip: You can do a quick online search for “call to action examples” to find great ideas.
Testimonials
Testimonials add legitimacy and credibility to your website and business, so as soon as you receive positive feedback, ask permission to use it, then feature it prominently on your website.
Social Media
Add links to your social media alongside your contact information. If you have a strong social media presence, you may also want to integrate a social media feed on your homepage, such as highlights of your latest tweets or Instagram snaps.
Website Functions
What functions will your website serve?
Beyond the information covered in the previous section, are there other other functions your website should serve? Depending on your business goals, here are a few website functions to consider:
E-commerce (online store)
Customer service live chat
Help request form (or other contact forms)
Customer service knowledge base
Email newsletter signup
Member portal (to view account and order information or access additional content or services)
Blog
Calendar
Forum
