Guest article provided by: Gig Spark
Perhaps you haven’t built a website for your business yet. You know that having a digital presence would serve you well – but you’re not sure how to get started. If you need guidance from a web developer and designer, Horner Consulting & Publishing LLC is here for you. Plus, here are some simple web design secrets that any small business owner can apply, from using a free website builder to creating infographics with a convenient template.
Why Build a Website?
Today, any small business that lacks a website will struggle to measure up to its competitors with regard to marketing. When you have a website, you can add e-commerce and digital payment options so that people can patronize your business from anywhere. You can also implement search engine optimization techniques so that customers can easily find you.
Even if you don’t have any web development or design skills, you can still build a website. You may want to hire a web designer, or you can use a website-building program from a platform like WordPress or Wix. You’ll be able to create different pages and ensure that your site looks clean and organized.
Helpful Free Tools
If you’re taking the DIY route for website design, you’ll want to utilize free tools to save money throughout the process. For example, you can choose free website themes or install free widgets and apps. Furthermore, you can also skip hiring a graphic designer by creating a useful infographic with a free template. You’ll be able to add your very own text, images, colors, design elements, and more.
Search Engine Optimization
Maybe you haven’t given much thought to search engine optimization – but neglecting this area can hurt your business prospects. To boost your search engine rankings, SEO Small Business Help suggests adding your site to Google My Business, as well as popular citation and review sites, and including popular keywords for your niche in your titles and headers, content, alt tags, and meta descriptions.
Site Security
Website security is paramount, especially if you’re selling products or services online, so begin looking at options for e-commerce security. To improve e-commerce security, you can implement measures including using strong encryption protocols, requiring secure passwords, updating software and security systems on a regular basis, and using multi-factor authentication for sensitive accounts.
Visual Design
If your website looks cluttered, disorganized, or visually confusing, potential customers might click away. To keep customers on your page, Wix Blog recommends designing a clean, minimalistic home page, adding high-quality images, and implementing a visual hierarchy to display your information. For instance, you’ll want to ensure that important assets like your company name and logo are large and prominently situated.
Boost Site Speed
When you’re browsing the Internet, ending up on a website with a slow loading speed can be frustrating. Chances are, you’ll leave a site if it doesn’t load quickly. Test your own site to ensure that your loading speed is fast enough. If it’s too slow, try compressing your images and files, minifying your code, and reducing redirects. Furthermore, make sure that your website is suitable for mobile browsing, too – if it loads slowly on customers’ smartphones, they might shop from competitors instead.
Social Proof
Your website is the perfect place to display customer testimonials and establish social proof. By showing positive feedback from customers, you can build your credibility amongst your audience. You may want to upload videos with customer testimonials or link your social media profiles to your website so that your customer-facing marketing content from these networks is also displayed.
If you don’t have a website up yet, or your website lacks important information or contact options, it’s time to invest in new design initiatives. By following these tips, you’ll be prepared to use a free website-building platform, beef up your site’s security, improve your SEO rankings, and more! Soon, you’ll be able to bring in lots of new customers through your website.
Horner Consulting & Publishing LLC helps individuals, organizations, and large to small businesses with their technology needs. Connect with us today to learn more!