In fact Smallbiztechnology.com just had a massive face lift done by my friends at Andigo Media - they did two main enhancements. First they improved the overall look and feel of the web site. Two they ensured the web site will display well on any device.
I strongly suggest that business web sites be INVESTED in - just like you would invest in other parts of your business. Don’t treat your web site like an annoying side project.
If you don’t have a few thousand dollars to invest in the skills of a professional to help you, then turn to do it yourself web sites like Striking.ly , Wix, Squarespace, Jimdo or One Pager
Our friends at DudaMobile (whose service turns regular web sites into mobile ready web sites) have 7 important tips to ensure your web site is optimized for business.
1.) Optimize discoverability. What good is your business and website if no one can find you? It’s critical that businesses maximize SEO, so that your site is showing up in searches, with the highest ranking possible. You need your users to interact with your website efficiently. This is achieved by optimizing a variety of different elements right on the homepage, including useful, easy to read buttons and links as Click to Call, a proper address and business hours. Last but certainly not least, remember that fresh and consistent content will also bring more people to your site and raise your site’s ranking dramatically.
2.) Make your website multi-screen ready. Beyond being mobile-friendly, your new site should look good on every device. Whether displayed on a desktop, tablet, smartphone or even web-enabled TV, you want your website to look awesome and tailor it to the specific needs and user habits associated with each type of screen.
3) Get smarter by tapping in other content platforms. Pull information or features from existing web services like Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Locu, etc. to maximize the performance and effectiveness of your site. Also, leverage SoMoLo technology to know more about your visitors and tailor their experiences accordingly.
4.) Simplify web management. Find a platform that helps you manage your site easily, with web editing tools, design templates, resources for marketing, etc. A central place that allows you to edit all of your websites when needed is important to minimize maintenance and encourage constant changes.
5.) Make sure your customers can reach you, Obviously, a phone number and address on your website is very important for in-person visits and customer service, but a simple contact form can also be used for feedback to improve your website and fix tedious customer flows. Actually listening to your customers and constantly improving your website will lead to regular and fresh content that’ll keep your customers coming back. Build loyalty and your customers will soon become evangelists of your brand.
6.) Make your website easy on the eyes. When a visitor arrives at your site, it’s important to capture their attention within the first few seconds. Design and navigation is a huge part of this. Information should be easy to find, understand and optimized for all devices. New visitors are also more likely to interact if the site is visually appealing. Make sure your photographs and logo are high-quality and consistent with your site’s color scheme. Don’t forget to make sure your website loads quickly too.
7.) Highlight CTAs on the homepage. Quite possibly the most important best practice for optimizing your business website, highlighting CTAs or call-to-actions makes it crystal clear to the viewer what you want them to do. This includes emphasis on certain buttons and using an active verb in your CTA such as ‘Try It’, ‘Buy Now’, ‘Sign Up’, ‘Donate’, ‘Play for free’ and others.
