Many small business firms do not have a website. Word of mouth and social media are just two options for contacting potential consumers, but websites should be the foundation of your online presence. Any business should plan ahead to develop a website that extends its marketing reach and increases sales.
What is the ideal small company website? What are the essential elements of a good one?
60% of small company owners believe that creating the right components for a website is just too time-consuming.
If you know what to expect, getting your business on the map can be simple and easy. That’s why it’s essential to understand some fundamental web design principles. Once you understand the steps in creating a successful website, it’s easy to do one for your business.
BASIC WEB DESIGN PRINCIPLES
1. Get the basics right
A website can be flashy, with stunning graphics and creative typography – but it needs a solid foundation to really shine. Valuable elements include:
- Intuitive navigation/search
- User-friendly interface
- Appealing design, layout & colors
- Flexibility in design.
Your new web design should work across all browsers and devices so people can easily visit your site on any device. It should also be mobile-friendly for when they’re out and about and need to check something quickly.
2. The importance of content
As far as web design is concerned, content is king! Content refers to text and images that are relevant to your target audience – people who are interested in what you offer and those who are your potential customers.
Here are some forms of content that make your website more accessible:
- Text: informative articles, static pages, and blog posts
- Images: screenshots of your products or photos of the team
- Video: screen capture videos with a voiceover that describe your product or services
- Audio: podcasts that relate to what you do. These can be used as an alternative to blog posts, eNewsletters, and audio files accompanying an article.
For high-quality content that drives engagement, look for a web design company that has experience in writing, photography/videography, website design, and social media.
Your content should be designed to suit different browsers, screen sizes, and devices such as smartphones or tablets. It needs to load quickly for the user, look great on all of them and help users find their way around your website.
3. Navigation is the key
A website isn’t just about content. To make it as user-friendly as possible, you need to provide a clear navigation structure. Imagine walking into a brick-and-mortar store where the layout is a jumbled mess with no logical flow – it wouldn’t be an enjoyable shopping experience!
Here’s how to design a good navigation bar:
- The navigation bar should not just appear on the home page. When a user scrolls down your website, the navigation area may stay at the top. A sticky navbar is one that remains at the top even when a visitor scrolls down your website.
- The navigation bar should be easy to read and understand. Don’t put too many words on it, use simple descriptions that users will instantly comprehend, and use a font size that can easily be seen by all internet users.
- Do not make the mistake of displaying icons only if they are going to enhance the user experience and provide extra information. Make sure it is worth the effort and focus on your text content.
Take some time to organize your website properly by planning out your navigation menu. Map out what categories your users will need to access your content. Will they be looking for products, services, information about the team or the business? Don’t forget that all of these sections should link back to your homepage for continuity.
4. Keep things simple
A great website design is one that meets its purpose and appeals to its target market. It should be simple and easy to use, have an uncomplicated design, and offer an enjoyable reading experience.
Don’t get carried away with a ton of text that users will find frustrating to read or going overboard on graphics – keep it likable and light because your website is not the place for bold statements or unnecessary images.
Here are three design principles that all small business websites should follow –
(A) Visibility. Your customers should be able to clearly see the information they need to know, and appreciate your brand colors as well as any logos you have.
(B) Clarity. Every design element on your website should serve a purpose without distracting or confusing users.
(C) Consistency. All pages within the same section of your website should look similar so that they display correctly across all browsers and screen sizes. Make sure your colors, text styles, and branding remain the same throughout.
Remember that every web design project is different and you should always be open to advise if offered.
5. The power of a great domain name
When it comes to web design, you want the right content paired with the perfect domain name. Your website needs an easy-to-spell, memorable domain name that customers can use to find you online.
- The homepage should relate to the domain name: if you want a professional image for your business, the homepage should be the same as your website’s domain name. Keep it simple and make sure that potential clients can remember it easily when they need to get back in touch.
- Use keywords if necessary: if you’re struggling with coming up with a good domain name, use some keywords that are related to your industry and match what business you do. This will make it easier for search engines to find it through relevant searches and audience who type these words into their browser’s address bar.
- Use a different extension: if you want to use something less common as your web address, i.e., .biz or .net instead of .com, make sure it’s not just because these extensions are free and available. Remember that the most important thing is for your website to be easily found by customers looking for a business in your area, so consider the extension carefully.
6. Make sure every page is fully optimized for SEO
Your website design should be easy-to-use and reliable, but it shouldn’t stop there. Every page on your website should also be optimized for search engines so that it displays correctly across all devices and is found by audiences who search for relevant information.
- You need to place the right keywords in your meta description, which will highlight important terms that are picked up by search engines. This will help search engines understand what your website is all about and list it in the right place when users type in certain keywords.
- It’s also important to write accurate meta descriptions that are full of relevant information but short enough to display correctly across all devices (mobile, tablet, laptop).
- Make sure that your website design is fully optimized for SEO and that each page has been created with the correct HTML code.
7. Accessible contact information
Contact details and call to actions can be found on the contact page. Your website needs to include accurate phone numbers and email addresses that are easy to find, as well as a clear call-to-action for your audience.
Always include a professional email address, i.e. ‘info (at) yourcompany.com.’ This helps create a positive impression and makes it easier for users to get in touch.
It’s also important that you use a professional phone number, either on the contact page or at least somewhere on the website so that potential clients can easily get in touch with you.
Ensure that your phone number is easy to find on every page of your website so that customers can easily call for more information or arrange a meeting.
8. Mobile compatibility
Your website should be mobile-friendly, i.e., it needs to display correctly across all devices and browsers. The industry standard is now a responsive website design, which means that your website will adjust to fit the screen of a mobile device for easy viewing.
Whether users access your site from an iPhone, Android, or other device, they should still be able to reliably view important information and contact details without constant zooming in and out.
9. Be consistent in branding & colors
Your website should have a professional and consistent logo and color scheme that is applied across the board. This allows for a more streamlined look that helps users to quickly navigate between pages on your site without getting distracted by irrelevant information.
These tips can help:
- Use the same logo and color scheme on every page.
- Include a link to your social media (Facebook, Twitter) in an easily accessible location across all pages of your website.
- Use the same contact information on each page, and make it easy to find.
10. Keep social media in mind
You should make use of social media to engage with your audience, but you need to remember that social media should be an extension of your website and not a replacement. When deciding where to focus your efforts, consider that most people use Facebook and Twitter on mobile devices more so than on desktop computers.
When using social networks, make sure that your account name is consistent with your company name and logo so that they appear professional.
Conclusion: Make it easy for users
It’s important to note at this stage that if a user cannot find what he/she is looking for on your website, they will likely turn to another company for their needs. Make it easy for users to find the information that they’re looking for so that you can attract more customers and boost sales.
If you need professional assistance contact a web design agency in NJ from the beginning. An agency can help you choose a domain name and organize everything on your website so that it looks great in search engine rankings.