Good website design is crucial for brand growth, much so for small businesses that need all the help they can get to boost site traffic and sales. In fact, almost 80% of website credibility comes from design (WebFX), and 94% of first impressions are design-related (WebFX).
The problem is website users are hard to please, with most bouncing off a webpage within 10-20 seconds if they don’t find it attractive enough. That’s not long enough to impress them with your products and services, so how do you turn initial curiosity into engagement? How do you make sure your visitors stick around and take action?
These 12 small business web design tips can help you turn casual visitors into leads ready to convert, whether it’s signing up for a free demo or clicking “check out.”
Table of Contents:
Common Small Business Website Design Mistakes Hindering Your Success
How To Make a Small Business Website Poised for Success
1. Conduct a Thorough Website Audit
2. Develop a Solid Brand Strategy
3. Declutter Your Website
4. Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
5. Simplify Navigation
6. Include Multiple Calls-to-Action
7. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
8. Incorporate Social Proof
9. Improve Site Load Speed
10. Place Contact Details and CTAs Above the Fold
11. Utilize Visuals To Enhance User Experience
12. Curate Fresh, Valuable Content Regularly
Boost Site Conversions and Sales: Hire Web Designers From Thrive
Common Small Business Website Design Mistakes Hindering Your Success
The digital world is saturated with over 1.13 billion websites as of February 2023. However, 82% of these sites have been deactivated, leaving 200 million still active (Forbes Advisor).
If you’re wondering how to design a website that gets results, here are some common design mistakes that could be hindering your success:
Source: GoodFirms
• Slow loading speed: Users expect websites to load within two seconds or less.
• Lack of responsiveness: Visitors will leave if your small business web design doesn’t load quickly or display properly on their devices.
• Confusing navigation: Visitors should be able to find what they’re looking for easily and quickly.
• Poor content structure: Too much information, colors and text can confuse and overwhelm visitors.
• Obtrusive use of audio/video: Autoplay videos and music can be annoying for visitors; consider using them sparingly or giving users the option to turn them off.
If you’re making any of these mistakes, it’s time to take action and improve your business website design.
Up Next: Learn how to design a website that keeps your brand top-of-mind and drives conversions.
How To Make a Small Business Website Poised for Success
Web design for small businesses requires a balance of aesthetics and functionality. Users need to know that you can solve their problems and be visually interested enough to stay on your website.
These 12 tips on how to design a website will help you achieve that balance and create a successful small business website design:
1. Conduct a Thorough Website Audit
Your business web design could be underperforming due to poor navigation, outdated content or slow loading speeds. One way to know for sure is by conducting a website audit.
A website audit examines different components of your site to identify areas of improvement. You’ll get a health report of your website plus actionable insights on how to tweak it for better performance.
Different types of audits are available to analyze specific areas of a business website design. Here are some worth including in your web design process:
• Technical audit: Checking search engine crawl errors, broken images and links, site load times, mobile optimization, etc.
• Content audit: Identifying outdated or underperforming content, duplicate content, opportunities for new content creation, etc.
• User experience (UX) audit: Improving site navigation and user journey by analyzing how visitors interact with your website.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) audit: Optimizing your website for improved search engine rankings and visibility.
• Competitor audit: Analyzing and benchmarking your website design against that of your competitors to identify areas for improvement.
Consider web design services for small businesses to help you conduct a thorough website audit and implement the right changes. A professional web design agency has the tools and expertise to assist you in creating a high-performing website.
2. Develop a Solid Brand Strategy
Use the information from your website audit to refine or develop a strong brand strategy that you can integrate into your website design for small business.
Providing a cohesive brand experience across all touchpoints, including your website, helps customers recognize your brand no matter where they encounter it. This consistency builds trust and brand loyalty – two key factors in converting visitors into customers.
Ensure that your website design for small business includes:
• A clear mission and vision statement: Communicate what your brand stands for and the problems you aim to solve for your customers.
• Brand values: Identify the core principles and beliefs that define your brand.
• Target audience: Understand who your target audience is, their preferences and how you can meet their needs.
• Brand messaging: Create a unique and compelling brand message that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from competitors.
• Brand aesthetics: Develop a visual style guide for your brand, including logo, color schemes, typography and imagery.
3. Declutter Your Website
Less is more when it comes to website design for small businesses. Visitors should feel welcomed and at ease when they land on your site, not overwhelmed with cluttered information.
Keep your web design clean, simple and easy to navigate by:
• Using white space: Avoid cramming too much text or images together. Allow some breathing room for a clean, organized layout.
• Keeping text concise: Get straight to the point with short, impactful paragraphs. Break up longer texts with subheadings and bullet points.
• Limiting color palette: Use a few colors that represent your brand and stick to them. Too many colors can be visually distracting.
• Using high-quality images: Images are vital in engaging visitors, so make sure they’re crisp, relevant and optimized for web use.
A site overhaul can be resource-intensive, so it may be best to leave the task to small business website designers.
Professional website design services for small businesses ensure your website is optimized for user experience, freeing up time to focus on other aspects of your business.
4. Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO generates 1,000%+ more traffic than organic social media (BrightEdge), and SEO leads have a close rate of 14.6% (HubSpot).
A well-optimized website will rank higher in search engine results pages, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
Follow SEO best practices by:
• Choosing an effective domain name, including relevant keywords if possible.
• Including keywords in your page titles and meta descriptions.
• Creating high-quality, relevant content for your target audience.
• Building backlinks from reputable sources to increase your website’s domain authority.
• Using internal linking to help search engines crawl and index your website.
• Setting up analytics tools like Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (GA) to track your website’s performance.
5. Simplify Navigation
Make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for by organizing your navigation menu and using clear, concise labels. Here is a basic navigation structure to start with:
• Use hamburgers for the mobile menu: On smaller screens, a hamburger icon is an ideal way to save space while still giving users access to the full navigation menu.
• Use drop-down menus: Keep your main navigation bar clean by using drop-down menus for subcategories.
• Utilize breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help users understand where they are on your site and how they got there.
• Include a search bar: A search bar makes it easier for users to find specific content on your site quickly.
For help restructuring your website, consider web design services for small businesses. Professional web designers can help you create a user-friendly navigation menu that will improve the overall user experience on your site.
With an organized and intuitive navigation system, users will be more likely to stay on your site longer, increasing the chances of conversions and repeat visits.
6. Include Multiple Calls-to-Action
Don’t assume that visitors know what action you want them to take. Use multiple calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your website to guide them toward what you want them to do. Some tips for effective CTAs include:
• Use action-oriented language: Instead of “Learn More,” try “Start Your Free Trial” to encourage immediate action.
• Make it stand out: Use contrasting colors and make the CTA button easy to click on.
• Place strategically: Put CTAs in logical places where users are most likely to convert, such as after a product description or at the end of a blog post.
• Test and refine: Conduct A/B testing with different CTAs to see which ones are most effective in driving conversions.
For an even more effective approach, try using scarcity or urgency tactics in your CTAs. This creates a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and motivates visitors to take action before it’s too late.
7. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
The average eCommerce conversion rate on mobile is 3% (Dynamic Yield), and mobile acquired the highest percentage of returning visitors, at 74%.
Here’s a month-on-month review of conversion rates from April 2022 to March 2023:
Source: Dynamic Yield
Improve the user experience on mobile by adopting a mobile-friendly, responsive small business web design. With responsive websites, layout and content adapt to suit various screen sizes and resolutions, ensuring an exceptional viewing experience for every user.
A good website design process should include testing on different devices and making necessary adjustments to ensure a seamless experience for all users.
8. Incorporate Social Proof on Your Website
Social proof, such as customer testimonials and reviews, goes a long way in establishing trust with potential customers. Here are some ways to incorporate social proof into your website design for small business:
• Include testimonials on your homepage: Select a few short and impactful quotes from satisfied customers to showcase on your homepage.
• Have a dedicated testimonials page: Allow customers to leave detailed reviews and ratings for potential customers to read.
• Utilize social media: Share positive customer feedback and interactions on your pages.
• Use influencer endorsements: Partner with relevant influencers in your industry to showcase their positive experience with your brand.
9. Improve Site Load Speed
Even a few minutes of website downtime can result in lost sales, with some studies indicating site speed affects conversion rates. For instance, Mobify found that decreasing their homepage’s load time by 100 milliseconds enhanced session-based conversion by 1.11% (Cloudflare).
Ensure your web design for small businesses is optimized for speed by:
• Compressing images and videos: High-resolution media files can significantly slow down your site. Use tools to compress file sizes without compromising quality.
• Minimizing plugins: Plugins can add functionality to your site, but too many can cause it to load slowly. Only use essential plugins that are well-maintained and necessary for your site’s functionality.
• Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN caches your website’s content on servers across the globe, allowing visitors to access it from the server closest to their location. This decreases loading time and improves the overall user experience.
• Enabling browser caching: Caching saves common site elements, such as images and videos, on a visitor’s browser, reducing load time for future visits.
• Conduct regular performance audits: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify speed issues on your site and make necessary improvements.
10. Place Contact Details and CTAs Above the Fold
Let’s face it; not all visitors will take the time to scroll through your entire website. Make sure essential information, such as contact details and CTAs, are placed above the fold (the part of a web page that is visible without scrolling).
This way, visitors can easily see how to get in touch with you or take action even if they don’t explore the rest of your site.
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency’s home page is a good example of this, with a prominent phone number and CTA above the fold.
Source: Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
11. Utilize Visuals To Enhance User Experience
Visual content, such as images, videos and infographics, is much more likely to be shared, engaged and remembered than text-based content (AIContentfy). Some tips for using visuals effectively include:
• Use high-quality images: Blurry or pixelated images can give off an unprofessional impression. Invest in professional product photography to showcase your products in the best light.
• Optimize image sizes: Large images can significantly slow down your site. Use tools to compress image sizes without compromising quality.
• Incorporate videos: Videos are a great way to showcase products, services or brand personality.
• Use infographics for complex information: Infographics can make dense information easier to digest and more visually appealing.
12. Curate Fresh, Valuable Content Regularly
Targeted and customer-focused content attracts website visitors and establishes brand authority. Work with copywriters, content strategists or in-house writers to create valuable and engaging content that users want to read and share.
Some ideas for regular content include:
• Blog posts: Share industry insights, product updates or relevant news through blog posts.
• How-to guides: Educate customers on using your products or services through step-by-step guides.
• Whitepapers or case studies: Share in-depth information and data on a topic related to your industry.
• Infographics or tables: Use visuals to present complex information in an engaging way.
You can use this guide as a starting point on how to make a small business website OR partner with small business website designers to create a custom website tailored to your business needs.
Boost Site Conversions and Sales: Hire Web Designers From Thrive
Templated websites may be cheap and easy, but they often lack the personalized touch and functionality that can set your small business website apart from competitors.
If you need a website overhaul or are starting from scratch, hire web designers from Thrive for custom web design for small businesses that meet the needs of your target audience.
From content creation to eCommerce web design services for small businesses, we’ll help you build high-converting online platforms that scale your business.
Contact Thrive’s web design agency today to learn more about our web design process or schedule a free consultation.
