Making the Most of Your Business’s Web Projects

In this day and age, a strong web presence is vital for the success of any business, big or small.

However, the smaller your business, the more of an impact a great website can have – and,

unfortunately, the harder it can be to pull off.

Large companies often have their own software departments dedicated to keeping the website

running well, or else they’re able to hire consultants or other massive outside help. Small

business owners are usually left to figure out their site all their own. Unless you happen to have

marketing and front-end development skills already, this can be a daunting task.

Fortunately, there are ways small business owners can boost their website and bring in a wider

customer base. Here’s a look at just a few of the things you can do to make sure your website

shines:

Focus on User Experience

There are few things more frustrating than trying to learn more about a company and finding a

website that’s difficult to use. There are plenty of web design flaws that can harm the user

experience.

For example, drop-down menus often have too small an activation box, meaning if your mouse

is a pixel too far to the left or right, you can’t use it at all. This is doubly frustrating if the dropdown

itself has a narrower box than the text to pull the menu down. Other common issues are

dead-ended link paths, difficult-to-find contact pages, and too-busy or too-barebones pages.

If you don’t have web design knowledge, it can be difficult to fix these kinds of user experience

issues. Consider hiring a freelance graphic designer who can make sure your site works and

looks its best. When looking at graphic designers, be sure to focus on candidates who are

familiar with graphic design tools, are fully versed in web design and who are noted as being

easy to work with. The right job board can connect you with top-notch candidates and provide

reviews so you aren’t in the dark about their abilities.

Tell Your Story

One of the best things your website can do for your business is to tell your story. Each and

every business has followed a unique path to where it is today. Find a way to have your site

show potential clients and customers what makes your business unique. Focus on answering

questions like why you decided to start the company, what drove your initial efforts, and what

kind of things you’ve learned along the way. This humanizes your company and helps people

relate to you as more than a logo.

You can do this with text, but a video will go the extra mile to share this information. Whenever

you have a video project, make sure to include accurate captioning. This expands the usability

of the videos, making it accessible to the hearing impaired. It also keeps your video watchable

regardless of whether or not the player (or the viewer) lacks a good audio connection. Not sure

how to add captions yourself? Check out services that can do it for you. If you do outsource this,

make sure to pick a service that promises a 100% guarantee. You should also make sure the

company provides captions that are compliant with FCC and ADA standards.

Telling your company’s story is an ongoing process. For many businesses, it makes sense to

have a regularly updated blog that shares new information about your company. You can also

use this space to show off any knowledge that positions you as an industry leader and boosts

your SEO.

Turn Visitors Into Customers

Finally, make sure your website is designed to turn curious into the hooked. If you get plenty

of hits on your site, but your company isn’t gaining more business, take a look at your site. Make

sure there are clear ways to sign up, contact you, or find your business (if it’s a brick-and-mortar

company). This way, you know that interested people can make the most of your offerings.

A website is a must-have for a business in the modern era. Make sure your web-based products

are doing everything they can to boost your company and bring in the clients you deserve.