6 Small Business Website Design Mistakes To Avoid

Small business website design can be tricky, but we're here to help! Check out our top 6 mistakes to avoid when designing a small business website.

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A Helpful Guide To Small Business Website Design

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but not doing the wrong thing is a breeze! Let me explain how this relates to small business website design… When you’re deciding what to order at a restaurant, making a choice that is delicious and satisfying can be difficult. But, if you read a review about the chicken parmesan being dry, you know not to order that. Then at least can rule out one item! The same principle applies to small business website design. 

The opportunities for customization are almost infinite, so making a decision may seem impossible. But, if you can reference a cheat sheet of things to circumvent, that may make it a little easier, right? Well, you’re in luck because you just stumbled upon a guide to 6 small business website design mistakes to avoid.

Building A Slow Website

Let’s start with the brass tacks: you can’t have a bad small business website design. Avoid slow response times and sluggish servers because if you don’t, visitors can’t actually experience your website. A site that takes a light year to load is as good as not having one these days. For more on optimizing the speed of your website, check out this helpful tip guide.

Desktop-Only Capability

Dreamhost.com says 61 percent of users who have trouble accessing a mobile site are unlikely to return. What’s worse, 40% of those will seek out a competitor’s site instead. It is crucial that your website functions for those visiting from mobile devices. Developers use an approach called responsive design that adapts the display of your website to the size of the device being used. This is key in mobile-friendly compatibility.

Designing It Yourself

Look, you’re great at what you do, but you probably wouldn’t brag about your website designing skills on your resume. Sure, you could probably hack one together, but is that really how you want your business represented? From the research and design phase all the way to building a custom code and design, the dedicated experts at IDS will deliver a website that fits your business and exceeds your goals.

Neglecting Readability & Using Heavy Jargon

You’re really going to spend all that time on a beautiful website design, only to populate it with stuff no one wants to read, or can read? It is imperative that your copywriting is clear, concise, and comprehensible. Opt for layman’s terms in lieu of industry jargon to ensure inclusivity among your readership. Using this type of language can really help enhance your small business website design!

Creating a Dull, Boring Interface Environment

As a small business, it’s likely you have personal relationships with your customers. And as an extension of you, your website should reflect your personality. Give your visitors a memorable online experience by tailoring it to your unique character. Make sure it is easy for your customers to get in touch with you, and don’t forget to publish regular updates to keep them in the loop. Your website should be informative and functional, but don’t be afraid to make it fun!

Ignoring Search Engine Optimization

SEO is an extremely important practice that gives your website a better chance of displaying as a top result in search engine queries. Should you choose to ignore it, you put your business at risk of being buried under your competition when a potential customer searches online for companies in your industry. Sure, people may see them from time to time, but prospective and existing clients can not easily find them, and that is bad for business. Forbes emphasizes the importance of SEO in its list of 10 Key Steps To Building A Great Small Business Website.

We’re Here To Help

Avoiding these six small business website design faux pas will help you set sail in the direction towards a wonderful website. But if you’d like a little extra help navigating the challenging waters of web design, we’re here to help. At IDS, we have years of combined experience bringing business owner’s website dreams to life. We’d love to hear about your business and discuss how we can help! Contact us today.

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