Winning Website Features for Small Businesses
A strong presence on Instagram or TikTok matters for your small business. But so does having a website. The memes may be on social media, but your website is where you sell things, answer questions, and build trust with your potential customers.
This year’s State of the Consumer Report backs up the importance of keeping your website, even if it feels like socials are taking over. Consumers reported that “social media is their least trusted source when making buying decisions.” Your shorts on YouTube may help you go viral, but your website is how your customers feel confident in your services or products when they inevitably Google you for more info.
What’s in a Website
A website essentially takes the place of a physical business card—and in some cases, also takes the place of a physical storefront. Your website is how people learn vital information about what you do and how to contact you.
After first contact with your brand on social media (or perhaps after hearing about you via recommendation or word of mouth), most people still head directly to Google to look for more information and additional social trust. An up-to-date site that is easy to navigate could mean the difference between a curious party and a paying client.
Key Features for your Website
Your website does not need to be an online encyclopedia that lays out your entire life story and every corner of how your business functions. In some cases, one page is enough, although many opt for at least a few pages to keep information organized. If your website doesn’t need to include your detailed backstory, what should it include? There are a few basic features you should consider.
Cohesive branding, including your logo and brand name
Your logo should be visible and in a familiar spot for modern web page users (top left corner or top center of the page).
Your name should be clearly indicated.
You should use the same colours and fonts throughout the entire website—even better if they complement your already established brand’s style.
Thoughtful UX and navigation
While big brands may have the extra funds to invest in fancy UX consultations or experiment with different UI designs, a small business should stick to the basics. Make sure the navigation for your site is presented clearly at the top of your page.
Group your content in an intuitive way so people can immediately find what they’re looking for without having to click seven million links or go digging through five different pages.
Add your contact information and links to T&Cs and Privacy Policies directly in the footer. Most people expect to find that information in the footer and may check there automatically if planning to contact you.
Easy-to-read content that is appropriately placed
Present content in short chunks, use bullet points, create plenty of subheadings, and write in simple English, ideally for the 8th-grade reading level.
Think carefully about the tone for specific content and adjust as needed. Is the purpose to convert or inform? If it’s to convert, make calls to action clear and concise. And be sure to label buttons with specific prompts (not just “click here”).
Reviews, testimonials, and other successes
Reviews, testimonials, ratings, and endorsements show that people love what you do, which helps them feel that they will be in safe hands by giving you their business. Nearly 86% of people read customer reviews before making a purchase.
Fast load speeds and mobile friendliness
If your site takes a long time to load, most people won’t wait. Slow loading speeds may also affect your ability to rank well on Google.
Most website visits these days are done from a mobile phone. Be sure that your website is optimised for non-desktop viewing.
Website Security
Your website needs to be secure—to protect yourself, your customers, and how people view and trust your brand. It needs an SSL certificate and a privacy policy: SSL protects sensitive data from being intercepted by hackers and is also essential for SEO rankings (Google prioritises secure sites over those that could put users at risk by exposing their data). A privacy policy is necessary for compliance with data privacy regulations such as GDPR (Europe) and CCPA (California).
It is highly recommended that you take advantage of tools that can help with website security. Services like Incogni are useful for helping your business scan, search, and remove data (either yours or your customers) from the web. WordPress can look into security plugins such as Wordfence or MalCare to scan for and remove malware if it does find its way into your site.