Even when sticking to a modest budget, your small business website can make an impact if it includes some basic elements.


When you’re a small business you likely have a correspondingly small budget, but that doesn’t mean your investments can’t make a big impact. Your business website is one place where you can stretch your dollar and play with the big businesses, but you’ve got to do it right. To get the most out of your website, you have to start with a solid foundation that you can build on. Here are 5 small business website essentials you can’t even think about skipping to save a few dollars.


About Page with a Personal Touch

 


A website’s “About” page is always one of the most visited no matter the industry. This is where you can tell your story through the lens of your customers’ needs. Focus on how you intend to help, then move on to more personal material. Use photos of your team. People love to see the people behind businesses instead of dealing with a faceless organization. Write in a conversational tone. Avoid buzzwords and jargon. Above all, be real. Be honest. Be truthful. It’ll pay off.


Mobile-Friendly Design

 


At an increasingly wider margin, mobile web traffic is outpacing desktop web traffic—and it’s not even close. In 2019, SimilarWeb reports looked at the top 100 websites and found that 107 billion visits per month were desktop users vs. 116.2 billion for mobile users. What’s that mean? You’ll want your website to be mobile-responsive and optimized for not only desktop devices but the various mobile screens that are more popular today. If your site isn’t mobile-responsive (or, mobile-friendly), you’ll turn off a huge funnel of potential visitors. Each missed connection is a missed opportunity to gain a new customer.


Customer Testimonials

 


Sure, you can talk about why your small business is so awesome, but hearing good things about your services from former or current customers is drastically more effective. Call it word-of-mouth marketing, peer pressure, or FOMO, but it works. If you don’t have great reviews to feature as you’re starting out, consider using clients’ logos. You also should include a link to your testimonials page on every page of your website to ensure they can easily be seen.


A Blog - Fuel for Content Marketing

 


Since you’re a small business website, you’ll need all the help you can get attracting visitors. A blog can do just that. A blog that appeals to users old and new will build up customer loyalty, improve your website’s SEO, establish your brand’s “voice,” and provide fuel for your content marketing plan, among other things. You might be small, but your blog can be mighty.


A Clear Call To Action

 


Since this is a small business website we’re talking about, you’ll want your visitors to do something. As, in, preferably purchase something or sign up for your mailing list so you can send them material as part of your content marketing plan. Your call-to-action buttons should be clear: “buy now!”, “sign up,” or “free trial”, for example. Consider making your button an eye-catching color so it stands out. Don’t be afraid to feature it several times on your homepage and throughout your site. You don’t want it to be overlooked.


Ready to dive in with one of the best small business website builders? Start your free trial with Folio Websites today.