8 Simple Ways to Improve Your Small Businesses Website
As an entrepreneur, you know a professional, high-quality website is a must to communicating the Why’s (why do you do what you do?), the What’s (what are your offerings?) and the How’s (the delivery of your offerings) of your business. In addition to clearly showcasing these offerings and your brand, your website should be aesthetic, user-friendly, informative and accessible.
Here are a few simple checkpoints to consider that will strengthen and optimize your website, influencing more sales:
01: Make the top navigation bar/menu ‘sticky’
Nothing is more frustrating than getting lost in a website. To make it SUPER simple to navigate your website, consider making your top menu bar sticky, so that it follows along with users as they scroll, or when they scroll up briefly it re-appears (like ours), so they never get lost.
This encourages visitors to keep exploring your site to learn more about your business, which the goal, right?
Bonus - It also keeps your brand name more prominent and at the top of all pages at all times.
02: Prioritize mobile by placing the navigation button in the top right corner
It’s closer to your thumb. It’s that simple.
Odds are visitors are looking at your site on mobile. Prioritizing easy functionality for these users is key. Do you really want to make someone to use two hands to get through your site on their phone? This is a simple update that could be overlooked but supports a great mobile experience.
03: Display large blocks of images as carousels
Two reasons - 1) Interactivity, and 2) Not getting lost in a sea of images.
People like to click buttons! By displaying image galleries with a carousel, you offer a button element of interactivity. Buttons can influence visitors to view your content longer, and see more, than if they were lost in a deep scroll of images.
Swiping, pressing buttons, seeing what’s next - it’s fun and interesting. Leaning into the simple psychology of humans will go miles in web design.
04: Be super clear on your offerings
“The more facts you tell, the more you sell.”
You want your enquiries to read “When’s the soonest we can work together?”, not “Do you offer payment plans?”.
List specific on your offerings and the delivery of those offerings. What’s your client process? Consider including scope, timelines, itemized deliverables and costs. The more questions you answer upfront, the quicker a new client will be to jump to work with you. If you’re not showing costs, offer insight into your structure (tiered packages, monthly subscription, etc.) or a ‘Request Pricing’ button/CTA.
Cost and terms of service are often a sensitive topics, and people can be reluctant to ask, especially if they haven’t engaged with your type of service business before. An FAQ section is a great way to provide specific project details that only the warmest leads will need to reference.
05: Soloprenuer or small team? Talk about you.
Your prospective clients want to know they’re about to go in business with. By saying ‘Hey! It’s Me & here’s what I’m about!’ puts validity and comfortability behind your meaning.
Go into detail on you & your team on an About page, and remember to re-introduce yourself throughout your site, linking back to the full story. Help clients get to know you & want to work with you!
06: Use your brand tone and message consistently
How do you want clients to perceive you? Are you friendly, serious, energetic, calm, intense, etc.?
Your brand message is critical. Assuming you have words (copy) on your website, there should be strategy behind them - what you say and how you say it. Your brand tone and personality can shine through in your copy, helping you resonate with your ideal audience.
Branding is more than pretty logos, colors and patterns. It’s messaging, tone and storytelling. Write with care.
If you’re opting for an AI service like ChatGPT to help you write content, make sure you review and edit it to make it your own. If you’re not a writer and understandably skeptical of the legal implications of ChatGPT, leverage brand and content experts for a refined strategy that will help you connect and grow.
07: Implement a consistent site style
Your website should be the poster child for your visual branding.
Implement your Brand Guidelines consistently across your entire site with cohesive visuals, color palettes, fonts and logotypes. Your site visitors have a short attention span. Be effective by intrigue them with your brand experience - showcase appealing layouts and aesthetic brand imagery on every page.
Showcase the proud work of your business to its fullest potential.
08: Only use high-quality images + product mock-ups
If we can leave you with one thing, it’s to absolutely avoid showcasing your offerings through blurry, unattractive imagery.
Do your business some justice by only presenting high-quality, professional brand imagery. A custom brand photoshoot is always best, but if you’re opting for stock, ensure it’s high quality and approved for commercial use. Your imagery is a big part of creating a great user experience and encouraging sales.
Allow your services and products to communicate themselves effectively with on-brand, quality images.