6 mistakes on your Small business website

Is your website marketing your small business? Reviewing many websites I have found 6 missing elements that hurt your business. A website is not a light fixture. You just don’t flip the switch.

You need virtual items that people expect. A website is your businesses Store Window. If you had a broken table with dust on it for ten years, how many people will enter your store? Your website is how people find your divine business gifts. It’s your virtual retail store.

Right now open a web browser tab with your website. When I talk about a certain area of your website make sure you have something similar. Write some notes out that will help you create or update that area.

Let’s Start improving your small business website!!

(   ) Are you on your Small Business Website

A picture is worth a thousand words and many business owners don’t have themselves on any page of their website. To build trust, you need a friendly face for your company.

Huge successful companies also want customers to connect with it’s top professionals.  Tim Cook, Apple CEO has a picture and bio on Apple website. (https://www.apple.com/pr/bios/tim-cook.html).

It has been proven that a picture of the owner or founder of a company on the front page or an about page of the website helps establish trust. People do not buy products or services, they buy the knowledge of experts. It’s important customers see who they are buying from or working with.

(   ) Mission Statement

Make sure you tell people what your business does right away. Bloggers make sure you have the exact things you write about right up front. People do not wait around.

If you own a bakery make sure you tell your customers what you’re known for. “Best CupCakes in Town.”

If you don’t tell people what you’re an expert at then they will know!  Spread the word and yell it at the top of your lungs.

(   ) Where’s that Contact info?

Make it easy for people to contact you. Give multiple ways of contacting you with a phone number, email and social media. Have them on every page even if it’s on the footer.

If you have a restaurant or a brick and motor business make sure your phone number and contact info is on every page and up top. Top right side is usually a good place for this.

(   ) Every page in the address bar readable

Okay, so this is a little technical but very overlooked. The URL is the website name and the web page together. We take the Apple link above with Tim Cook’s bio that is a URL. As you notice with that URL you can read it and know that its’ Apple Bio Tim Cook.

This is called a Perm Link or alias for many content management software like WordPress. You need to have it look like that and not a number or look like ?p=104

If your website address isn’t easy to read search engines can’t find your content. Also, it will be harder for people to share or know what you are talking about.  Believe it or not having words in the URL makes your website likeable.

(   ) Working Social Media and LINK IT

I find a website that I enjoy and want to follow them on Twitter or Facebook.  Right?  NOPE!  I look on the small business website for social media links. NOTHING! This business just lost me.  I will not sign up for the newsletter.  The website gets lost in the deep digital ocean.

Millions of potential customers behave the same way. Social media is your second chance. Make sure you have at least two major social media profiles linked and active. They could be:

  • Youtube
  • FaceBook (make sure you have a business page, not your profile)
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • Instagram

If you don’t include social media on your website then you aren’t building a community. It is important to spread your voice in many ways.

Business die because they listened to an expert telling them people leaving their page for social media is bad. I have also seen people attract millions of visitors with social media. Some companies do not need to link out to social media.  I personally find that it is needed in today’s curious world.

(   ) Where’s the Blog

A blog is the heart of your small business website. New blog posts create the same attraction as an updated storefront window. Keeping the energy moving and attracting people and expanding your business. Posting blogs posts on social media and other websites attract new customers.

No one wants the same boring look! Update your website with fresh exciting stories.

A blog is the core of content marketing. If you spend 4 hours a month posting 4 stories for your small business website a month. In one year, you created 52 entrances to your website. Your small business website has grown. Google and other search engines will see your business is still in business.

If you pass a store in town with a dusty storefront display that hasn’t changed since Clinton are you going to walk inside? Your small business website sends messages just like a store you pass in town.

Blog weekly and amaze the world with your magic.

Always Room For Website Improvement

Your website is fluid. It changes with your business like a store window or retail store. The best websites tell the world how your business helps! Gives your audience a personal gift.

Think of your website as an 1800’s general store. Where you talk and tell stories to your customers. Some customer’s buy and some stop in for the company.

Look at your website with the above checklist.

What can you improve? Comment below on what areas of your website will you be working on. What areas need a little more work?

To your tech success,

Terry

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