Website Usability: Tips For Building A Killer Small Business Website
Although the Internet is a powerful equalizer for small businesses; building a killer small business website is important to snag viewers and convert them into paying customers.
These days building a killer small business website is essential to entrepreneurs for attracting customers and not just a matter of aesthetics.
You can no longer just slap up a Website and expect customers to flock to your door.
Because your web site is the first thing your clientele see, even if it’s just to get your phone number and street address; they will measure the quality of your business, by the quality of your web site.
The conversations between manufacturers and buyers that used to take place over the telephone, are now conducted through the content on manufacturers’ Websites.
Building a killer small business website could be the difference between surviving our current recession and buckling under to it. And, getting the best return from your small business website, is based on understanding what does and does not work.
Here are some tips for building a killer small business website that will work:
- When you set up your shop online, you’ll first need a Web address.
- There are tons of address sellers, or domain hosts online where you can register your web address.
Network Solutions, Go Daddy, and Register.com are just a few of the more prominent hosting sites.If a direct name for your small business is available, it is easy to remember and will probably be your best choice.For example: If your business is called Ancient Coins By Jack, it makes a lot of sense to buy the rights to the URL “www.ancientcoinsbyjack.com”.
There is a huge secondary market for previously purchased domain names on the Internet so, it’s probably a good idea to purchase a few variations to your domain name that are close to your primary address; especially if it is a relatively common name.
- Good navigation is one of the most important functions of a good Web design.
- There is no single correct way to move your visitors around your site, but there are some navigation strategies you should avoid using. Drop down menus, although increasingly popular, can be frustrating and confusing as additional menu boxes pile up on the computer screen.Because wide computer screens have now become the norm, rather than the exception; take advantage of it by organizing your navigation tabs from left to right.
- Present compelling backgrounds on your company’s management, along with their accomplishments and pictures, to help establish your business credibility.
- It also pays to put up your client list, some shining testimonials, or even full case studies showing how your product or service solved your client’s problems.
- Building a killer small business website using killer graphics can cause problems with the search engines. Use them sparingly and only when necessary.
- Use high resolution, “non-dithering” colors that are easy on the eye and don’t distract from the focus of your site.
Now for SEO:
Building a killer small business website that is easily navigated and absolutely beautiful is worthless if no one can find it online. That’s why Search Engine Optimization is so important.
- Use Google AdWords free service to select at least 100 of the most relevant keywords to your product, service, and target niche. You can specify zip codes, cities, and regions in addition to phrases, for local area searches.
- The more that those key words appear on your Web pages, the higher up in the rankings your site will appear.
- Attach meta tags to your website, in order of how import they are to your business, for your top 25 keywords.The meta tags will drive traffic to your website when people perform a search using those keywords.
- It’s also helpful to place your business in the online business directories to get more visibility.Among others; Best of the Web, Insiderpages.com, Yelp.com, and Google’s free Local Business Center can help increase your small business visibility.
These tips for building a killer small business website, will help you bring in web traffic, convert them into valuable paying customers and survive in these current economic conditions.
