You have a business! Your business should have a website. These five website content essentials will build credibility and increases leads for your small business.
Maybe you know you need a website for your business, but you don’t know what your website should include. That is understandable. Putting a website together can seem like busy work. A simple five page website might include home, about, services/products, frequently asked questions, and a contact page. That is a workable plan from a copy content perspective, but you need a website that generates leads for your small business. Here are five essentials your visitors need to see on your small business website.
1
Contact information
Having prominently displayed contact information is important to the success of your site. Visitors to your site should be afforded the ability to contact you in several ways if possible. A simple contact form is also a good idea, so none of your visitor’s resources are needed to connect with you about a question or comment.2
Concise navigation
A simple navigation plan usually starts with proper organization of your site’s overall content. I personally like to outline content for website creation. The main roman numerals in my outline (ie. I, II, III) represent the top links in my main navigation system. Make sure your website navigation is clear. Think like the user of your website for testing the design. You might even have a few friends review your website to help you avoid confusion.3
Social media links
Every small business needs to maintain an active presence on at least two social media networks all the time. My personal favorites are Facebook and Twitter. Depending on the products or services that your small business offers, you might utilize different social media outlets. Social media should be a big part of marketing your business. The increased exposure is great way to introduce yourself to new potential customers that may not have been reached through traditional means.4
A mobile version
Today, people carry around the internet with them in their pocket. Your website needs to offer usability for mobile browsers. Industries like restaurants have an even more urgent necessity for websites that display well on mobile devices. Searches on smart phones convert more visitors and that results in customers for you.5
Call to action
You will love having people visit your site. It’s pretty great to hear from your customers that they visited your website. It is even better to have a lead in your inbox that your website generated for you. You can increase the positive reaction to your site by having a clear call to action. If you want people to sign-up, print, call or otherwise — ask them! I think most people are familiar with the phrase ask and you will receive. An important part of your website strategy needs to be asking loud and often.I am calling these five things my website content essentials for successful small business. They all relate to what your visitors will see while browsing your site. Your site cannot be as effective if you omit any of these elements.