If you are comparably a smaller business with a big dream, you probably know that you cannot miss out on having a website. Today, customers want to experience the best shopping experience from the comfort of their homes.
Whether it is an e-commerce giant like Amazon or a new startup in its developing phase, rising consumer expectations demand entrepreneurs to hire designers who can build websites for their businesses.
However, most people don’t understand how to make a great business website. Why? Well, because not every business starter has a degree in IT.
Thus, a legitimate website service for small businesses brings their years of expertise to the field and helps the clients understand what are the components of a good website.
From overall look to brand logo, each component plays a crucial role in how your website will represent you and your brand.
From a customer’s point of view, query makers can analyze the website’s quality in a fraction of seconds.
If visitors are not impressed first hand, it takes them less than three seconds to click the ‘X’ button on the screen and move on to the next service.
It is as simple as that. But why take a chance when you can create an ultimate website platform for your small business?
We are discussing below 30 Features to Include When Creating a Small Business Website.
For your convenience, we have divided this blog into two parts.
Let’s go!
1. A Strong Domain Name
Domain names are nothing but the address of what people can use to find your website. For example, if you want to look up some information related to any service, let’s say website building for a small business, first of all, you will be required to open Google’s search engine. Thus, you will type Google.com. This is a domain name.
In simple words, a domain name is a name that people will type in the search bar to find your business. What should they call you?
So, if you are someone by the name Kelly dealing in clothing business, you can choose the name “Kellyscloset.com” for your website’s domain name or a variation of it.
You can have any domain name that is currently available. You need to check if the domain name you want is up for sale. Choose a catchy name, and your organization’s interest.
Here are some tips to get the perfect domain name:
- Make it easy to type
- Keep it short and simple
- Be creative and memorable
- Use an appropriate domain name extension
2. An SSL Certificate
Fundamentally, a website’s operation involves exchanging information like IP address, the geographic location from where the site was accessed, and visitor personal information such as email address, phone number, name, etc. (which visitors give voluntarily).
And this information needs to be safe. SSL Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to the organization’s details. It provides security for online communications by installing SSL on your website. You ensure that your organization’s data and visitors’ data are secure from theft.
3. Brand Logo
A brand’s logo is a graphic representation of your business identity. It uses a combination of symbols, emblems, stylized names, graphic marks, drawings that usually aim at reflecting the brand’s value for the customers. Therefore, website designers for small businesses will also design a memorable logo for you.
Here is what a brand’s logo does for your business:
- Grabs attention
- Communicates ownership and establishment
- It leaves a strong first impression
- Differentiates a brand from another brand
- Increases brand loyalty
- Foundation of brand’s identity
Studies indicate that 75% of people identify a brand by its logo. And not just the different colors and styling used in logos, designing also helps raise a unique brand voice.
4. Tagline
Just like humans are not humans if they are devoid of emotions, a small business web development is incomplete without a tagline. A small catchy phrase or a slogan that briefly describes what your business offers and the ideals you stand by is conveyed by taglines.
A great tagline tells your potential customers how your brand will add value to their life. A lot of website design companies for small businesses make the mistake of creating irrelevant taglines. But this is not what should be the aim.
You should look for a specific and a very descriptive, easy to understand tagline that instantly informs your visitors who you are and invokes “this is the right website for me” feeling.
Additionally, some designers attempt to sound too formal by using generic terms such as the best company, world’s Number one. But guess what? There was a time when brands did that. But not anymore.
Think about your customers. What can intrigue them? What they would want from a website? Use humanized terms that get them to stay. A great tagline can have a lasting effect on your website visitors. It is one of the few website features for small businesses that hold the potential to improve your conversion rates.
5. Cookies
Internet cookies are built explicitly for internet web browsers to personalize, track and save visitor information to help improve their online search experience. Cookies allow a website to remember customer site preferences, relative content they search for, duration of time they spent on a website, and such details. As a small business, you need to know which site draws most of your traffic to plan your next marketing campaign based on the gathered data.
We hope! You are still with us.
6. A Call-to-Action
The entire purpose of having website building for small businesses is to want your customers to buy from you at some point. In a plethora of services competing for the same audience, brands get a short period to grab the attention of their customers. At the same time, customers have a short attention span. That is why you should never leave your customers guessing what to do?
It is essential to have a call-to-action everywhere on your site. A call to action saying something like “contact us, call now, buy now, visit us today.”
As a website maker for small businesses, we make sure that your CTAs are integrated into your website and as engaging as they can be.
It is essential to mention here that the modern-day audience loves assertive CTAs. They are bored with “Hey! Visitors” and similar typical CTAs. Instead, you can give your CTAs a unique touch by making them more conversational.
7. Email
An email is one of the common forms of communication and the most effective website features for small business websites. Customers who like your services would want to obtain more of your services. But how will they know what you have in store for them and if they’re going to contact you?
The email address allows the consumers to contact brands at their convenient hours. They can look for product information, make formal complaints, and share their valuable feedback through emails. If you are trying to create a small business website, email is the best medium as it reflects professionalism develops a sense of trust and credibility.
Here are top reasons why a professional email address is essential in small business website development:
The impression is the key
- Improves branding
- Develops trustworthiness
- It gives flexibility to business operations
- Increased accessibility
- Enhances brand-customer relationship
8. Phone Number
Beyond communication, incorporating a phone number on the business website gives your business a verifiable identity. The emerging importance of being credible cannot be emphasized more.
Ankit Bhatia, Marketing Director at Reliqus Consulting, says about their stance on using phone numbers on the site:
“Many business websites mention their phone numbers at the bottom of the page because the company doesn’t really want to talk to their customers. However, our approach is the exact opposite. Being in the website building for small businesses for over a decade, we understand that when designing a website page for small businesses, it is important to mention the phone numbers on the top because a business should be willing to talk to their customers.”
9. Top Navigation
A structured and easy-to-follow menu on your website acts as a directory to your entire website. It leads the customers to the different pages of the other services of your business. It also helps Google to index your business more categorically.
The more complex and nested categorization in the top navigation, the less likely it is to register customers. As a general rule of thumb, the whole navigation can have anywhere between one and three visible levels. The top navigation may have icons like home, about us section, blog section, resources, career section, etc.
10. Business Location/Hours
Along with online presence, a big part of ensuring a business’s success is ensuring that your services are obtainable at physical locations and hours when they are available. Getting your business listed with Google Maps allows customers to find you. This is especially crucial when small companies are in the developing stage. They need to establish their authority in their local area first. After that, they can expand their services to other sites.
Hang on, Dreamers! Just a couple more seconds.
11. Testimonials and Reviews
Believe it or not. Customers love to check reviews before they shop for anything. For example, what is the typical flow of thought when looking for a business online?
- Is the business legit?
- Do they offer quality at an affordable price?
- Has anyone ordered before? If yes. What was their experience?
All these queries and much more can be answered indirectly by including customer reviews and feedback on the website. Testimonials are powerful in that sense. And being the best website developers for small businesses, we make sure to integrate client reviews on your website to improve your credibility.
12. Social Media Channel Links
Presence on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook is a must-have feature for every small or large business. Your prospective clients can find you on social media and discuss your quality services. Being active and frequently updating the pages where your consumers spend most of their time can help you deliver urgent messages that you might want to send to your audience.
13. Online Chat Feature
Online chatbots offer real-time solutions to emerging queries. According to a study, text messages outrank phone calls as the preferred form of communication. Other data from Nielson reports that when seeing a number on the website, people think they might be welcomed by interactive voice machines and have to press annoying buttons to receive a powerful solution.
Live chat eliminates this perception problem, which is perhaps why it is becoming a preferred communication choice for most consumers. A live chat feature is a must component of any quality website building for small business service. It images your customers and strengthens your communicative presence.
14. Personalized “About Us” Page
This is your place to shine. Customers are more interested in understanding your brand than you imagine. Don’t be shy when telling your story. Whether it is about your failures or challenges, you faced while developing your business.
Don’t assume that people don’t read the “About Us” page. Give a descriptive and story-based profile of your company. You can also include awards and honorable mentions, recognitions that you have been awarded.
15. A Search Function
A search function is another essential feature that helps improve website operationality. A user might visit your website and be looking for specific information or product. Thus, when a web design service for small businesses includes a search function, the customer can enter the query directly into the box and see all the related pages.
A returning customer may remember a keyword from your last blog that they had found worth reading. So, instead of typing the full title that they may have forgotten, only typing the keyword will make the process easier. A search function is also helpful when you have a massive list of products on your site, such as Amazon.
We made it. That’s all for Part 1. Click here to read Part 2.
We will see you there.