Create a Successful Small Business Website

These days, having a web presence is not an optional marketing strategy. Small businesses need a website in order to succeed. A well designed and properly marketed website can drive your small business forward. However, simply creating a website for your business does not guarantee success. Keep these tips in mind to create a customer focused, credible and creative website for your small business.

Know your customers and cater to them. Are your customers young and tech savvy? Do your customers do a majority of their web browsing from tablets or smartphones? If so, design your website to be trendy and mobile friendly. If your customers fall into a demographic that is older and not tech savvy, consider keeping the font size large and include basic navigation to help them get around your website.

Include information your customers want to know. There is nothing more frustrating than checking the website of a business, but not finding any useful information. Be sure to include location, hours of operation, contact information and common questions. Many people will use the Internet like a phone book, so make sure you include this information.

Ensure your security certificates are from a trusted authority and keep them up to date. Credibility is crucial. If you take payments through your website, it is imperative that you ensure the safety of your customers' financial information. When you are registering with a certificate authority - which allows you to have 'https' in front of your web address - make sure they are credible and reliable. It is worth the extra money to ensure there are no red flags or security warnings when customers browse to your website.

Clearly spell out the fine print including your returns and privacy policies. Are customers allowed to return their item to your store, or will they have to mail it back? Will the customer be charged any shipping or restocking fees? Are you planning to share your customers' information? All these things need to be clearly stated in an easy to find location on your website.

Your website needs to reflect the personality of your business. When a customer goes to your website, they should know it belongs to your business. This is done by matching the look and feel of your website with your brand. An effective way to do this is to match the color pallet of your website to the colors used in your logos and letterhead. Creativity is important, but it should not negatively effect the usability of your small business website.

Remember, first impressions are just as important on the web as they are in real life. The first page customers see when they browse to your website makes a first impression. Just as you wouldn't want customers coming into a disorganized and cluttered store, do not make them stumble through your landing page to find what they want.

Make sure the first page your customers see is professional, organized, and reflects positively upon your business.