As a marketer and founder of Women in Biz Network for the last seven years, I have reviewed countless websites over the years and I am always concerned about hardworking entrepreneurs who don’t focus on the right elements for building a winning website.
It is actually why I launched my latest online marketing mastery program because it was an easier way for me to help a larger amount of hard working business owners! I wanted them to learn from my mistakes and benefit from all the techniques, software and services I have tried over the years.
If you are interested in learning more about that program you can check out here. We have one month dedicated to websites and you get lifetime access to the tools and videos.
From great hosting to web analytics, this post provides a list of 10 things every small business should consider when (re)building a website.
Redesigning your website? Publishing a site for the first time? Congrats! Your web presence gives you fabulous possibilities to grow your business. Plus, you can show off your brand and create a business/marketing advantage. Keep in mind only about half of Canada’s small businesses even have a website at all… So, good for you.
Here’s my list of ideas and considerations for your new website:
1. A user-centric experience
To design a good experience, start by understanding your audience. What do they need and want from you? Why do they visit? What social networks do they like? Try to always keep them top of mind. If you have a site already, analyze your analytics. I use JetPack.
2. Robust web hosting
Above all, your website must load quickly and reliably. Nothing frustrates visitors more than spotty or sluggish sites. Awful! So, choose your host carefully. I like GoDaddy for web hosting because of its customer support, plugins, and WordPress training videos.
“A single second delay in your website loading time can result in a 7% loss in conversion, and 40% of web users will abandon a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.” – Hosting Facts
3. Clear contact info
How can visitors get in touch with you? Keep in mind that people often visit websites to get basic contact info. So, offer it! Put your contact info in your site footer. (This way it appears on each page.) And add a “Contact Us” page, complete with a map and form.
4. Mobile friendliness
Per comScore, 56 percent of Internet traffic in Canada happens on phones. Therefore, your website must “respond” to phones and tablets properly. When you design and/or update it, check to see how your new site looks on popular smart phones and tablets.
“The biggest frustration for people using search engines on their smartphones was slow load times, demonstrating what has become almost a digital refrain: companies need to optimize sites and content for mobile audiences.” – Catalyst Canada
5. Social media activity
Don’t just build a website, build an online presence for your brand with social media, too. Create your own presence on the social networks your audience likes the most. Then embed your social media posts onto your website to maximize your exposure! Try using plugins to highlight social feeds on your website. I love highly visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.
“Astonishingly, the average person will spend nearly two hours (approx. 116 minutes) on social media every day… Currently, total time spent on social media beats time spent eating and drinking, socializing, and grooming.” – Social Media Today
