When it comes to building the perfect website for a small business, it’s hard to know exactly what you should include, and what is unnecessary. As a small business owner, it can be hard to separate what you want to tell people about your business from what your customers really need to hear about your business. Because of this, many DIY websites and ecommerce sites are overcrowded, messy or difficult to use, and contain irrelevant or uninteresting information. This kind of website can lose you customers online, and decrease the chances of prospective customers finding you through search engines like Google.

Here we’ve compiled the 6 essential elements your business website really needs to make you stand out – from engaging new leads and customers to elevating your site in the search ranks.

A Great Web Address

While getting the perfect domain name isn’t the be all and end all for your small business website, your web address should be short, simple and to the point. Your domain name is like your brand, it’s going to be printed on your business cards, in your email address and told to your clients, so it should be as easy to write, say and remember as possible. Using the .com domain ending is ideal, as most customers are conditioned to using this kind of domain ending. While choosing (and then actually finding) the right domain name for your business can be difficult, working with a professional web designer can help you easily secure the ideal domain name for your business.

Responsive Design

Responsive website design is the skilful design of your webpage that allows it to adapt to the device on which you are viewing the webpage. Nowadays, over 50% of web surfing is done on mobile devices that have smaller screen sizes than desktop computers. If your webpage can’t be easily accessed and read by a mobile user, you immediately lose half your potential audience. Professional website design always incorporates responsive design to make your website content more widely accessible to the users of all device types.

SEO Optimized Content

The content on your website is not just read by your customers and website visitors, it’s also read by search engines like Google and Bing in order to make sure your website comes up when someone searches for your company or services in the search engine. A web design expert can create carefully crafted content that is interesting to read to your customers, while also helping you climb the results ranks on search engines.

Easy Navigation

Your website should be clear and easy to navigate. Webpage visitors want to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily, and clear navigation improves the website user experience.

Clear Contact Information

Your website helps to market your business, so you always want to make sure your website includes clear and quick access to a contact form or your business contact information, so interested visitors and clients can make direct contact with you sooner.

Testimonials

By including a selection of testimonials on your website, your webpage instantly becomes another salesperson for your business. More than ever, customers rely on the opinions and experiences of other customers when choosing a product or service. Listing some genuine, positive testimonials from actual customers on your website can help to build trust and confidence in your business and make your brand stand out.

With these 6 essential components of a small business website, you can more effectively promote and establish your brand, bring in more website visitors and leads, and maximize your website’s potential to help you do business.