Small Business Websites: Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Small business websites are fast becoming the easiest way for people to find and learn about your business. From your hours, to menus and services, a website can be the first impression your small business gets. The look, layout and content of your small business website are crucial to its success. Unfortunately, this means that there is not much room for mistakes. Avoiding these can be hard for first time business owners so we have created a list of the most commonly made mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Shop around – Don’t overpay for your design service. Talk to other businesses about the designers they have used, how the website is performing and what level of service they received. You should be trained in updating your small business website or include ongoing work within a contract.
2. Appealing appearance – Many small business websites appear cluttered and overly full of content, signage and information. The cleaner a site looks, the easier it is for your visitors to navigate the site and get the information they need about what you can offer them. By creating a simple and clean small business website that is easy to navigate, users are more likely to spend more time browsing your site giving you more opportunities to sell your products or services.
3. Content – Having adequate amounts of quality content is the key to keeping people engaged on your website. Engage the audience with relevant information about your business, services and other related topics on your small business website. This information can be completely original or links to other sites or articles. These outbound links can help to also create backlinks, which are vital to search engine optimization (SEO). By filling your site with a good mix of original and linked content, you provide a wider range of information and position your organization as an expert adding weight to your suggestions, opinions, products and services.
4. Audience Preferences – What does your target audience like, what do they do, where do they spend their free time and where does your business fit in? Look for the answers to these questions and keep them in mind as you build your small business website, create content and reach out. People don’t like to feel sold to. Let your voice come through the site to ensure it feels genuine and trustworthy. By targeting your website to fit the audience needs and desires, they are more likely to find your site, browse it and act in ways that are mutually beneficial.

Investing time into your small business website will provide valuable information and resources that your clients will appreciate. Easy access to contact information and hours are always expected but adding more relevant and detailed content enhances your site and can lead to more site visits and more time spent on the site. By taking the suggestions above into account you will be on your way to a successful website.