Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Small Business Website Essentials

Ever wondered why some businesses end up generating more sales and revenue – despite their size, while others continue with mediocrity – even when they offer top-notch services? The answer is the website. In today’s day and age, where going digital is not an option but a necessity, it is not enough for any business to simply have a website – they must see to it that their website is optimized the right way i.e. it ticks the right boxes to be the most accessible as possible to its customers. 

For small business, having a proper-functioning website is even more essential. Websites that do not utilize the best of optimization to offer a good customer experience end up losing out on revenue and potential customers without even knowing it. And yet, we often get to see poorly made sites that lack copy, have bad design, or even fail to feature basic information. 

In such circumstances, one might ask “What does a small business website need to succeed?”
Below we explore ten essentials that any small business website must have to offer their visitors a great experience thus earning their business. 



#1 – A Simple Domain Name

When it comes to websites, the domain name is a very important part of the brand. As a small business, you must remember that the best brands are the ones that stay in people’s memories. The best practice here is to default to your company name, along with a “.com” domain address, or a “.org” domain address in case your business is a non-profit organization. Secondly, make sure to avoid using punctuations (such as hyphen and underscore), numbers, or heaving stylizing. Doing so would only  make it difficult for potential visitors to remember.


#2 – A Good Hosting Platform

One of the worst nightmares for any business is to have their online information compromised by hackers. Not only does it lead to data loss and logistical issues, it also promotes untrustworthiness among your customers, who would then think twice before even considering visiting your website. It is therefore imperative that you use a hosting platform that is safe, secure, and can block cyber-attacks.


#3 – Simple Navigation

A successfully designed website is one where the visitor can easily navigate through its various pages without getting the feeling of being lost in a sea of content. While it may sound very obvious, many websites do fail to incorporate the basic elements needed to create a good user experience. 

Must-haves to create an intuitive design include adding and/or combining colors that are easy on the eye, making sure the navigation bar remains at the top of the page regardless of the position (which is also called a ‘sticky navbar’), seeing to it that the navbar has the links to reach every important page in a single click, and finally, ensuring that the company logo on the navbar takes the user to the homepage.


#4 – A Concise and Clear Introduction

No one wants to visit a company’s website to conduct investigations on who they are and what they do. It is only sensible for companies looking to gain traction to clearly state the company’s purpose and range of activities.

For starters, the website should clearly state the name of the company, along with bullet points of all the products and/or services they offer right on the homepage. This will allow visitors to decide if they need to go further at a glance. This should be followed by the ‘About’ page, which should give a little background on the company, explain their “why” and elaborate on the elements mentioned in the homepage.


#5 – Knowledge of SEO Basics

In times when almost everyone utilizes searches to find what they are looking for, you need to make sure that your company comes up on top of the list. In the world of search engines, this can be achieved through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Basically, this refers to the practice of designing your website and its content in a way that it gets indexed higher for searchers looking for a company like yours.  

SEO best practices change with time and include both on-page and off-page SEO. On-page SEO elements include using the key words in correct positions, adding backlinks, and using high-grade multimedia, such as videos, images, and interactive staging. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, is more about the coding of the website, and the naming of the URLs and page titles.


#6 – Links to Social Media Pages

When it comes to the web, there are many places where your potential customers can engage and interact with your brand. Social media is one of the best place for this. Make sure that your website visitors know that you are active on social media by adding links to popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also go a step further and add widgets to your website. These show a small preview of your social media posts, which shows your engagement in the community.


#7 – Quality Content

For any small website to add value, having good quality content is a must. When someone visits your website, they are looking for something. Through your content, you can give them exactly what they are looking for, and even give them a reason to come back for more.

There are many ways you can go about it. For starters, make sure that your core content (i.e. the copy on your homepage and about pages) are on point. Next, you can build a body of content by adding relevant and authentic blog posts that centre around your industry and expertise. Last but not the least, you can add the occasional “content bonuses” such as eBooks and interactive quizzes. Make sure to update your content regularly and utilize the right short and long-form keywords for SEO.


#8 – Testimonials and Customer Reviews

Having trust is key when it comes to establishing a relationship with your prospects. When your prospects see other customers describing their experience of working with you, it makes your products and services more tangible to them. Adding reviews and testimonials from customers helps them relate to those who have already been in their shoes, which in turn helps in building trust.


#9 – A Clear Call to Action

No matter how many features you have on your website, at the end of the day you are here to sell your products and/or services. It is, therefore, essential to include a ‘call to action.’ You must keep in mind that the attention span of visitors is of all but a few seconds, and subtly reminding them by inviting them to reach out is a great way to remind them.

This can be done in many ways – by adding messages to reach out for a free quote, adding products to their shopping cart, signing up for exclusive offers, and even participating in seasonal sales. Make sure to highlight your suggestions by highlighting the texts or using special buttons or even animation.


#10 – Contact Information

Clearly stating your contact information on your website is an absolute must. Not only will they help your customer get the information to reach you, it will also help you rank higher for local SEO. Besides the dedicated contact page, you must feature your business’ address, phone and fax numbers, and email on every page. Make sure to add the email and phone number on top of the sticky nav-bar as well. 


 


Leads Online Marketinglom_logo

Leads Online Marketing

5.0

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Best web marketing company I have delt with in the area.

Best web marketing company I have delt with in the area.

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Ricky and his crew are GREAT to work with. I had the pleasure of starting working with Ricky 45 years ago, and it has been problem free. 5 all the way

Ricky and his crew are GREAT to work with. I had the pleasure of starting working with Ricky 45 years ago, and it has been problem free. 5 all the way

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This company has helped my business grow since the very beginning We have 3 retail locations now and we are still growing. Results are transparent and easy to follow. Also would like to mention that you can view your reports or login to view your results as you go Been letting these guys do my advertising for over 4 years. Wouldn't go anywhere else

This company has helped my business grow since the very beginning We have 3 retail locations now and we are still growing. Results are transparent and easy to follow. Also would like to mention that you can view your reports or login to view your results as you go Been letting these guys do my advertising for over 4 years. Wouldn't go anywhere else

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I just started working with Leads Online Marketing although my company has been with them for several years. I'm already very impressed with Ricky and his team. I look forward to seeing where this partnership takes us.

I just started working with Leads Online Marketing although my company has been with them for several years. I'm already very impressed with Ricky and his team. I look forward to seeing where this partnership takes us.

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Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

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Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

google logo
Last March I had an appointment with Lead Online Marketing. Thinking this was just another advertiser promising me the moon I still decided to sit down and talk with Ricky. To my pleasant surprise he was very up front about what he could and could not do. Many other marketers are disingenuous. Once deciding to go with Ricky and his team my website was on the first page of Google organically within 4 months and is now a mainstay there thanks to the great communication and effort from the 'tech' side of Leads online marketing Chris. Chris is great to work with and has done a fantastic job for us. In fact they have done so well for us last year I had them take over my PPC campaign. Last February we had 3 leads total for the month. Today is the 5th of February and I have 16 on schedule. We are coming up on 1 year with Leads Online Marketing and very pleased with my investment and how they are very responsive and courteous to us. Bottom line We are being found online by our customers and business is good Highly recommend

Last March I had an appointment with Lead Online Marketing. Thinking this was just another advertiser promising me the moon I still decided to sit down and talk with Ricky. To my pleasant surprise he was very up front about what he could and could not do. Many other marketers are disingenuous. Once deciding to go with Ricky and his team my website was on the first page of Google organically within 4 months and is now a mainstay there thanks to the great communication and effort from the 'tech' side of Leads online marketing Chris. Chris is great to work with and has done a fantastic job for us. In fact they have done so well for us last year I had them take over my PPC campaign. Last February we had 3 leads total for the month. Today is the 5th of February and I have 16 on schedule. We are coming up on 1 year with Leads Online Marketing and very pleased with my investment and how they are very responsive and courteous to us. Bottom line We are being found online by our customers and business is good Highly recommend

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The leads group has increased my business. Lots of people talk but few deliver like this group. Sit down with Rick and tell him what your short and long term goals are and they will put a plan together that really works. My customer base has increased almost 35 in the two years I have been with Leads and my only regret is not using them sooner..

The leads group has increased my business. Lots of people talk but few deliver like this group. Sit down with Rick and tell him what your short and long term goals are and they will put a plan together that really works. My customer base has increased almost 35 in the two years I have been with Leads and my only regret is not using them sooner..

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Exceptional team, with great resultsBest marketing group in CLT.

Exceptional team, with great resultsBest marketing group in CLT.

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Leads Online Marketing built our website and has been in charge of our internet marketing at Ballantyne Plastic Surgery for the past few years. They have far exceeded what any company has done for us in the past. Ricky and his staff are knowledgable, responsive to our questions, and honest. I highly recommend them.

Leads Online Marketing built our website and has been in charge of our internet marketing at Ballantyne Plastic Surgery for the past few years. They have far exceeded what any company has done for us in the past. Ricky and his staff are knowledgable, responsive to our questions, and honest. I highly recommend them.

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Ricky and his staff at Leads Online Marketing are some of the best people you will ever come across. I am so glad that I got introduced to Ricky almost a year ago. I was looking to do a website and just did not know who , where or what to trust. Luckily, I came across Ricky. His staff is always looking for ideas to help my business. Their web pages are A in design, simplicity, and getting the necessary traffic to your site. They are always on top of things. Whether it is info for your blog or just helpful reminders of social networking ideas. I would highly recommend Leads Online Marketing for all of your online needs.

Ricky and his staff at Leads Online Marketing are some of the best people you will ever come across. I am so glad that I got introduced to Ricky almost a year ago. I was looking to do a website and just did not know who , where or what to trust. Luckily, I came across Ricky. His staff is always looking for ideas to help my business. Their web pages are A in design, simplicity, and getting the necessary traffic to your site. They are always on top of things. Whether it is info for your blog or just helpful reminders of social networking ideas. I would highly recommend Leads Online Marketing for all of your online needs.

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Any business owner who experienced the startup process of launching a website knows how difficult the job is. Thankfully, a friend of mine recommended Leads Online Marketing in Charlotte. I hired them to handle the website design of our company. We had an ambitious design concept for our website, but I was very happy with the outcome. It was even more impressive that they managed to get the website working efficiently within the time frame we gave them. Most of the web designers we've worked with in the past always never completed the project on time, even the most skilled designers. Thus, it is definitely a bonus for us I would gladly recommend this company

Any business owner who experienced the startup process of launching a website knows how difficult the job is. Thankfully, a friend of mine recommended Leads Online Marketing in Charlotte. I hired them to handle the website design of our company. We had an ambitious design concept for our website, but I was very happy with the outcome. It was even more impressive that they managed to get the website working efficiently within the time frame we gave them. Most of the web designers we've worked with in the past always never completed the project on time, even the most skilled designers. Thus, it is definitely a bonus for us I would gladly recommend this company

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Owner operator Ricky is the best , I was always sceptical of these marketing company's and never would have thought of spending my hard earned money on these things until I met lRicky I have been harassed cold called emailed and down right irritated by so called company's that were going to build my business, but with leads I met with Ricky he showed me what he could do , spent a great deal of time with me at no charge and no pressure and left it as call me if your interested, no bull just straight up honesty , he has built me an incredible website , increased my business and at an extremely affordable price I have links and sites , even social media pages I didn't even know existed and the best part he's a regular guy , we talked business over a beer at the cigar bar right up the road, again no corporate bs just results , check him out you won't be disappointed

Owner operator Ricky is the best , I was always sceptical of these marketing company's and never would have thought of spending my hard earned money on these things until I met lRicky I have been harassed cold called emailed and down right irritated by so called company's that were going to build my business, but with leads I met with Ricky he showed me what he could do , spent a great deal of time with me at no charge and no pressure and left it as call me if your interested, no bull just straight up honesty , he has built me an incredible website , increased my business and at an extremely affordable price I have links and sites , even social media pages I didn't even know existed and the best part he's a regular guy , we talked business over a beer at the cigar bar right up the road, again no corporate bs just results , check him out you won't be disappointed

google logo
Leads Online created an exceptional website for my company and the value has been staggering. Their continued efforts to drive our website traffic in a cost effective manner has produced significant measured results. They are highly responsive and help to keep my site fresh with content whenever the need arises. Leads Online is an excellent solution for small businesses looking for a true online presence.

Leads Online created an exceptional website for my company and the value has been staggering. Their continued efforts to drive our website traffic in a cost effective manner has produced significant measured results. They are highly responsive and help to keep my site fresh with content whenever the need arises. Leads Online is an excellent solution for small businesses looking for a true online presence.

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