Brick-and-mortar business models have had their fair share of market dominance. But this is the age of digitization and having a business website today is an absolute necessity. It provides vital information about the services you offer to a massive pool of users who search for online services.
For local consumers, even a listing on Google Maps can be a great help. On a global scale, you have the opportunity to compete with the best irrespective of your business size.
According to Data Reportal, more than 80% of internet users search for a product or service online. You can connect to these consumers through an optimized business website.
Here’s how you can design a business website:
1. Use a Catchy Domain Name and a Robust Web Host
Domain names catch the visitor’s attention first up. It’s a representation of your brand and should never be finalized in haste.
As per Hosting Facts, there are more than 333 million domain names, and the numbers continue to rise with each passing second. Pick a domain name that’s memorable and separates you from the rest. Else, your’s would also go down as “just another domain name.”
When you’re designing a website for a small business, the biggest dilemma you encounter is regarding the web hosting service. With so many options available, the decision becomes tricky. The best approach is to choose the one that offers reliable tech support and doesn’t involve any overhead costs.
2. Make it Fast and Responsive
Offering your users a fast-loading website goes without saying. However, many fail to deliver the same because of carelessness, inadequate testing, or poor web hosting services. Ensure that your business website loads within 3 seconds to maintain a low bounce rate.
The gradual shift of internet usage from computers to mobiles implies introducing strategic changes to make your website more responsive. Research done by Perficient informs that around 63% of total internet visits happen via smartphones.
Adopt a mobile-first approach and then address the desktop and tablet users. A business website that’s optimized for all screen sizes is bound to perform exceptionally well in the market while its counterparts struggle for visibility.
3. Offer Simple Navigation
Don’t go overboard with creativity that renders your business website a riddle for the users to solve. Offer straightforward navigation and avoid complications to improve the user interface.
According to HubSpot, complex web layouts and poor web navigation decrease website engagement by 38%. If people have a hard time using your website, chances of conversion become negligible while the possibility of them never returning become sky-high.
All pages should have crisp information, and your branding should be consistent throughout the website. You can use a website maker to manage web page structures, hyperlinks, etc., happening on your website.
4. Perform Website Optimization for Search Engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the gamer changer for any business website. If your website ranks higher than your competitors, it’ll have a significantly high open-rate. Once the user visits your website, it boils down to the effectiveness of your landing page.
As per Bright Edge, SEO drives more than 1000% traffic compared to organic social media. It’s a clear indication of how important SEO is for your business.
Focus on the organic usage of keywords, media optimization for audio/video files, meta description, backlinks, and more.
5. Place Strategic Call-to-Action Buttons
An effective call-to-action button can make or break a customer. The action can be anything from a purchase transaction, service subscription, newsletter sign-ups, etc. Avoid scattering CTA buttons all over the screen as it breaks engagement and frustrates the user.
A report by Unbounce informs that 90% of visitors who read your headline also come across your CTA. When more people reach your CTA, you accordingly secure higher conversions too.
The relevance of CTA buttons depends on your SEO performance, content quality, and more. If people can’t see your business website or your content doesn’t keep them hooked till the end, they won’t come across your CTA.
To Conclude
Business websites are your key to the kingdom of the digital business world. Design a business website that has the perfect domain name, loads in quick time, and offers seamless navigation.
Leverage the power of search engine optimization and always place relevant call-to-actions to secure customers.
What’s your business website, and what does it offer? Let us know in the comments section. To write a Guest Post for us, click here.
