Designing a business website is a foundational aspect of business ownership in the 21st century. If you’re a small business owner, you’re likely going to be the person responsible for building your business website.
There are plenty of “how-to” guides online to give you all the intimate details of web design, but it’s better to start simple. Take a moment now to read over a few general design tips for your new business website.
Keep is simple
Simple is the new awesome. No one wants to land on a website that has so much going on that you can’t get to the actual homepage for a minute or two. Keep the concept and design of your business website simple, and only include what is necessary to adequately represent your operation.
Keep it interactive
Engagement should be one of your top priorities when you’re crafting your business website design. You want to give passing web users a reason to spend some time investigating your website, so it helps to make it interactive.
One way to add engagement is to choose the right plugins to add to your design. Plugins give your pages depth, and they can be used to gather some extremely useful information. Explore all you can do by adding plugins to your pages.
Keep it mobile
Mobile users are the most prominent type of online user today, so a mobile-friendly design makes sense. Appeal to the masses by building your website in such a way that it presents and functions properly on any size screen.
Make sure you don’t create tiny buttons, and invest in making your content quick to load. You’ll lose the majority of passing users with slow loading pages.
Keep it social
Social media is a heartbeat of the internet, and you want your content linked to its pages. Adding social media sharing buttons to your business website is always a great idea.
If you have a blog connected to your website, it’s helpful to add sharing icons at the end of every entry. If readers find an interesting entry, they can easily disperse it to their friends and family with a sharing icon.
Keep it updated
Your website should be viewed as an ongoing project. It is never truly finished. Consistent updating is the best way to remain relevant to your target users. If your website has a blog, it should be updated at least once a week to retain readers.
Update your pages with new sales or deals being offered, and make sure to offer opt-in opportunities for your email listings. Creating an adequate digital rolodex gives you an advantage when you’re ready to formulate marketing ideas.