When you’re starting a small business, you NEED a stunning small business website. This will be your online storefront, and you must make a good first impression. Not only will a great website help you attract more customers, but it will also help you establish authority in your industry.
In this article, we’ll give you 10 tips for creating a stunning small business website.
1. Choose the right web design platform
4. Write great website content
6. Optimise your website for search engines
7. Use a professional web designer
8. Test your website before going live
1. Choose the right web design platform
When it comes to creating a stunning small business website, there are a few different web design platforms to choose from. WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix are the most popular ones. They all have their pros and cons, so it’s important to choose the right one for your small business website.
WordPress is a very popular platform because it’s open-source and customizable.
This means that you can change the code to make your website look exactly how you want it to. However, this can also be a downside because you need to know how to code to make changes. WordPress is also free to use, but you will need to pay for hosting and a domain name.
Squarespace is a popular platform because it’s easy to use and has beautiful templates.
You can create a website without any coding knowledge, which makes it perfect for beginners. Squarespace also has a lot of great features like e-commerce and SEO tools. The downside is that it’s not as customizable as WordPress, and the monthly plans can be expensive.
Wix is another popular platform that’s easy to use.
You don’t need any coding knowledge, and there are lots of templates to choose from. Wix is also free to use, but you will have to pay for a domain name and hosting. The downside of Wix is that it’s not as customizable as WordPress or Squarespace, and the monthly plans can be expensive.
2. Use quality images for your stunning small business website and on social media
Images are a powerful way to capture attention and encourage shares. Posts with images get 94% more views than those without. However, not all images are created equal. To create viral social media content, you need to use high-quality images that are both interesting and relevant to your audience.
You can find free stock photos online or take your own photos. If you’re using someone else’s photo, make sure to credit the photographer. Also, be sure to use the correct dimensions for your images so they look great when they’re shared on social media.
Here are some tips for creating high-quality images for social media:
1. Use high-resolution images
Your images should be at least 1080px wide to ensure that they look great when shared on social media.
2. Choose interesting and relevant photos
Your photos should capture your audience’s attention and be relevant to your brand or topic. Try to choose photos that are unique and engaging.
3. Credit the photographer
If you’re using someone else’s photo, make sure to credit the photographer. Also, include a link to the photo source if possible.
4. Use the correct dimensions
When uploading images to social media, make sure to use the correct dimensions so they look great on all devices. Here are the dimensions for some of the most popular social media platforms:
Facebook image sizes for posts and timeline photos:
Recommended size: 1200 x 630 pixels. Minimum size: 600 x 315 pixels.
Twitter Image Guidelines:
– Your image must be at least 1200 x 675 pixels.
– Minimum card image size is 120 x 120 pixels.
Pinterest recommends a Pin size of 1000 x 1500px and an aspect ratio of 2:3. This will give you the best image quality for your pins! Photos should be at least 600 x 900px.
Square images work best on Instagram, with a size of 1080px by 1080px. For landscape posts, an image size of 1080px by 566px is ideal, with an aspect ratio of 1.91:1. Vertical images should be sized at 1080px by 1350px, with a 4:5 aspect ratio.
3. Keep your website updated
Your website is the face of your company. It’s the first thing people see when they search for you online, and it’s the first place they go to learn more about you. If your website is outdated and looks like it was designed in the early 2000s, you’re going to have a hard time convincing people to trust you and do business with you.
In order to keep your website looking fresh and modern, you need to update it regularly. This doesn’t mean you have to update it every day, but you should aim to update it at least once a month. This will keep your website looking current and help you attract new customers.
If you’re not sure how to update your website, or you don’t have the time or resources to do it yourself, you can hire a web design company like The Marketing Advisory Service to help you. A good web design company will be able to update your website regularly and ensure that it looks great no matter what device or browser it’s viewed on.
4. Write great website content for your stunning small business website
When it comes to website content, it’s not just about having a lot of it. To be successful, your content must be well-written, informative, and relevant to your target audience.
The best way to produce high-quality website content is to start by creating a content strategy. This will help you determine the topics you want to cover, the tone you want to use, and the overall tone of your website.
Once you have your content strategy in place, it’s time to start writing. Be sure to include lots of helpful information, and make sure that all of your content is properly edited and spell-checked.
If you’re not sure how to get started, or if you need help creating high-quality website content, contact us today. We are happy to help with your stunning small business website!
5. Make use of social media
Social media is a powerful tool that businesses can use to connect with customers and create a community around their brand. It can also be used to drive traffic to your website and boost sales.
Here are some tips for using social media to promote your business:
-Create a social media policy and make sure all employees are familiar with it.
-Create engaging content that will interest your target audience.
-Make sure your website is optimized for social media sharing.
-Use hashtags to reach a wider audience.
-Participate in conversations and build relationships with customers.
-Monitor your social media accounts for comments and questions.
-Respond to comments and questions promptly and politely.
-Use social media to announce special offers and promotions.
-Track the results of your social media campaigns and analyze the data to improve your efforts.
6. Optimize your website for search engines
The first step in optimizing your new stunning small business website for search engines is to perform a search engine optimization (SEO) audit. During this audit, you will analyze your website and uncover any areas that need improvement.
Once you have identified the areas that need improvement, you can begin to optimize your website for search engines. This process includes optimizing your website content, titles, and meta descriptions, as well as building links to your website.
If you are not familiar with SEO, it is important to educate yourself on the basics before beginning the optimization process. There are many resources available online that can teach you how to improve your website for search engines.
In addition, there are many SEO tools available that can help you track your website’s performance and optimization progress.
The key to success with SEO is to be patient and consistent. It may take some time for your website to rank high in search engine results pages, but if you continue to optimize your website and build links, you will eventually see results.
Still not sure? Get a free website audit from The Marketing Advisory Service, we will take care of it all from link building to on page optimisation to get your stunning small business website in the correct position on search engines.
7. Use a professional web designer
Professional web design is key to any successful website. A well-designed website will help you attract and keep visitors, as well as convert them into customers.
A professional web designer will help you create a website that is both visually appealing and user-friendly. They will also help you choose the right layout, fonts, and colours for your website. Additionally, a professional web designer can also create custom graphics and animations for your website.
If you want your website to look professional and effective, then you should consider hiring a professional web designer.
8. Test your website before going live
When you’re ready to go live with your website, it’s important to make sure that everything is working correctly. One way to do this is to use a testing tool. There are several different tools available, but one of the most popular is called BrowserStack.
BrowserStack allows you to test your website on a variety of different browsers and devices. This is important because not everyone uses the same browser, and not everyone uses a desktop or laptop computer. You can also test how your website looks on different screen sizes.
Another great feature of BrowserStack is that it allows you to test your website’s responsiveness. This means that you can see how your website looks when it is viewed on a mobile device or tablet.
BrowserStack is a paid tool, but there is a free trial available.
9. Get feedback from users
One of the most important things you can do to improve your website or app is getting feedback from users. This can be done in several ways, but the best way is to make it easy for users to provide feedback.
One way to make it easy for users to provide feedback is to add a feedback form to your website or app. This form should ask users to provide their name, email address, and a brief description of the problem.
You can also send out surveys to get feedback from users. This can be done with a tool like SurveyMonkey.com. Be sure to ask users for their name, email address, and a brief description of the problem. You can also ask users to rate the severity of the problem on a scale of 1-5.
Another way to get feedback from users is to use a tool like UserVoice.com. With this tool, you can create a feedback forum where users can submit feedback and vote on ideas submitted by other users. This is a great way to get feedback from users and to see what ideas they think are worth pursuing.
10. Maintain your website
It is essential to keep your website updated with fresh and relevant content. This not only helps keep your website looking new and inviting to visitors but also tells the search engines that your site is active and worth returning to.
There are several ways to keep your website content fresh. You can add new blog posts, update your pages with recent news and events, or create a photo or video galleries. You can also offer free downloads, such as templates, checklists, or whitepapers. Plus don’t forget to update your contact information and About Us page.
Whatever content you choose to add, be sure to keep it fresh and relevant. And if you’re not sure what to write about, try browsing the latest trends in your industry or find inspiration from popular websites such as Forbes, Huffington Post, or The New York Times.
Conclusion
Creating a stunning small business website can be a daunting task. But with the right tips, it can be easy and affordable. This article provides 10 crucial tips for creating a website that will make your business stand out from the competition.
To learn more about how to create a stunning small business website, contact The Marketing Advisory Service today. We aim to work closely with our customers to ensure we design, build and execute a strategy that is perfect for you and your small business.
