A strong online presence is key to running a successful small business. Gone are the days when business owners could shun the internet and its many resources. Unfortunately, too many small businesses either don’t know where to start or dive in without doing the proper research, which can actually harm your business if you’re not careful. If you want a beautiful website that communicates your brand and informs potential customers about your company, here are some tips to consider. If you need a restaurant website fast, consider using a website builder to get your online presence up and running quickly.
1. Learn SEO
A pretty website isn’t doing much good if no one sees it. Learning how to optimize your content will actually make it work for you and your business instead of hanging out on a random section of your website. White hat link building is one method of getting more eyes on your small business. There are several strategies you can try. You’ll first want to experiment with getting the keywords right for your website specifically, but later you can experiment with creating content for other platforms that link back to your website. The search algorithm accounts for all the links pointing back to your webpages, especially from valuable websites, and is more likely to boost the rankings for your site.
2. Update Often
Consistency is key to securing customer attention. If you can only update your blog once a week or once a month, you can do that, just try your hardest not to miss a scheduled post. People who enjoy your content will start to expect your posts at a certain time and day, and if that post doesn’t show up, they’re likely to move on to someone else who can provide the content they’re looking for without having to wait. People like consistency, but they also like valuable content. Try to find out what information only you can offer, making your company irreplaceable to your customers. Quantity is great, but it’s the quality content that will keep people coming back, even if you skip a week.
3. Prioritize Clarity
You want your website to communicate a lot about your business, but not if it clutters the space. Clarity is vital to creating a usable website and getting customers to commit to a purchase. Make it easy to see where the different web pages are, and don’t make anyone have to click a ton of times to get to the content they want. The more clicks they have to make, the more likely they are to simply click away. If someone wants to buy, make it easy. Frustration can kill your sales.
4. Pick the Right Name
The right name can be a huge factor in the success of your business. You want something catchy but not too complicated. It should also be easy to remember, and preferably the same across the internet, especially on social media platforms. Having different usernames might make your customers think someone is impersonating you, forcing them to give up looking for the correct one for fear of getting scammed. Once you’ve got the right name, make sure it looks good in whatever font you pick. Remember, clarity is key.
5. Add Contact Information
Even if you include all the important information you can think of, you never know what you might have missed or what small detail could be vital to a customer. In addition to a frequently asked questions page, add a section with your contact information. Even if it’s just an email address, having that information available can help you secure a customer with some simple customer service.
Your website is an important part of running a small business, but it’s easy to feel a little intimidated. Luckily, there are countless tools out there to help you create a website you love within your budget. Some people get caught up in the stress of keeping up with a website, but with the right strategies, it might just become one of your favorite tools for growing your audience.