One third of all companies fail in their first two years of life: that is a fact, and small businesses are no exception. We’re not going to sweeten things, it’s a worrying statistic. However, if you are launching a small business, there is one thing you can do that will only help your chances of finding success: making your business website as effective as possible.
Most companies these days have websites, but many of them omit critical details or make mistakes. Let us help you grow your business by presenting six critical elements that many websites overlook.
1. Calls to action
Call to Action (CTA) is a common term in the world of web marketing. They are the virtual equivalent of asking for the sale, so to speak. A CTA matches a short directed message, then uses a button with a short and simple message (such as Buy Now or Start), to request the sale.
CTAs play an important role when it comes to conversions, and there are many ways to implement them on any website. Most of the main content management systems (CMS) allow their users to create calls to action with ease.
2. Telephone numbers
Forgetting to include a phone number is a big misstep for business websites. While some sites may simply share an email address or add a contact form, businesses that are open to the general public have a higher standard.
Clients expect a high degree of attention if they provide any type of personal service, which is why they often prefer to be able to contact you instantly. This can be a big hassle for small operations, but it is something worth considering if you want to improve customer relationships.
When it comes to location, we’re big fans of including numbers in the main navigation bar, instead of the footer. The easier your phone number is to find the best one.
3. Address
The same principles that apply to phone numbers also apply to addresses. However, the addresses can be more difficult to admit from a practical point of view, because sharing an address implies that you have a physical location and people who work in it ready to receive clients. Therefore, if you do not keep a physical address open to the public, it is best that you omit this detail.
If your company maintains a physical location and accepts clients without an appointment, you must share your hours of operation and show that information along with your address. It is a small detail that will avoid having to answer the questions of the interested parties.
For maximum visibility, consider grouping phone numbers, addresses and opening hours in a single location if your website design allows it.
4. Client testimonials
Client testimonials are one of the best tools at your disposal to convince new clients that they can trust. If possible, we recommend that you present testimonials that mention specific aspects of your business instead of generic praise. The latter can often seem fake, while the former can be extremely effective.
Most CMS offer some kind of testimonial system, but when it comes to WordPress users, we recommend that you check the Testimonials Widget add-on.
5. Social networking profiles
Social media plays a very important role in the daily lives of many people these days, and companies must adapt to this reality. Many companies make the mistake of thinking that they only need a website, while they could greatly benefit from a complementary presence in social networks.
The key to this step is to identify which social media platforms you need to target. Creating accounts for all of them requires a lot of time and, often, a waste, since your main audience can only attend a few.
A cafeteria, for example, could find great success using Instagram and Pinterest if they can take some good photos of their products. But they may not do so well on Twitter unless they have a good community manager. Regardless of the platforms you choose to join, be sure to include links to your profiles on your website!
6. A content strategy
One of the best ways to attract new customers to your online business is to make sure they understand that you are an authority in your field. One proven way to do this is to publish useful blog posts in a consistent manner. Think: practical pieces, articles of comparison and your opinion on the recent developments of the industry; It’s all fair game.
The key to success in this regard is twofold. First, you must be patiently consistent: you are playing the long game here. If you cannot commit to publishing content on a regular basis and expect long-term results, it’s better to change your efforts elsewhere: few things look as bad as a company blog that has not been updated in years.
Second, you must provide real value to your potential customers. The web is already full of cookie content: yours must be unique and really useful. Consider what information your customers are most likely to search online and take it from there.
Conclusion
Making an effort to improve your online presence as a small business is not a sure guarantee of success, but it certainly will not affect your chances. The attention to detail plays a very important role in determining if your website will succeed or not.
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