Just because your business is small doesn’t mean that you should neglect your website. A bad website (or lack of a website) can drive a potential customer away, which will lead to loss of revenue for you.
Keep these quick wins for small business web design in mind when you are building or redesigning your website and you’ll be well on your way to a user-focused site that converts.
Keep Important Info Above The Fold
“Above the fold” refers to the part of the webpage that is visible without scrolling. It’s the first things that a visitor will see when they land on your page. People tend to pay more attention to information that they’re given at the beginning, so if you want to get a message across, make sure it’s easily viewable and above the fold.
A 2015 study by Jakob Nielsen showed that users spent 80.3% above the fold and only 19.7% below it. So even though users do look below the fold, they aren’t spending nearly as much time below it.
Keep Font Choices Simple
There’s a ton of bad typefaces out there. Don’t complicate things and risk choosing one that isn’t right for you. Focus on learning to recognize which fonts are good for small screen sizes or larger screens and stick to those few.
Here is a cheat sheet from Design for Hackers with all of the fonts you’ll ever need.
Keep It Responsive
RWD stands for to responsive web design and means that a website is designed to adapt to whatever device a visitor is using. It is not something to be overlooked. Companies who have a responsive website will generate more leads and maintain a competitive advantage.
Website design partners usually have responsive themes. If you’re on WordPress, there’s a ton of responsive themes to choose from. If you’re a HubSpot kind of person, the same goes for you. It’s something that extremely easy to use and just as important to implement.
Keep Images Looking Sharp
If you use a visual representation for selling products or whatnot, you better have up to date images that look professional. The quality of whatever you are selling will not translate in a poor photo. It is worth investing in professional photography, especially since people who are viewing you online can’t get ahold of what you’re selling. Having good pictures will give them confidence in you and what they are buying from you.
Keep Trust Indicators Visible
Things like awards, guarantees, or testimonials help show a potential customer that you’re a safe choice to do business with and will give them an idea of what they can expect from you. Positive reviews can make someone trust you more, so highlight those especially. Guarantees will build trust with a customer so that if something happens, you’re going to back them up. Awards show that you know what you’re doing and you’re good at it.
Small business website design best practices aren’t something that can’t be broken. In fact, even the best designers break these rules sometimes. But keeping these quick wins in mind for your website and you’ll surely see a return on investment.
