How Effective is Your Small Business Website?
Even if your business is done primarily off the internet, you probably still have a website to help people find you. After email, the second most common online activity is searching. Millions of people are online 24/7 searching for information, comparing products, doing research. That means that if someone in your community wants to find a local business, they are probably going to go to the internet first. Handheld devices like Blackberries and iPhones allow people to do quick searches wherever they are. For example, if their car breaks down—they can find a mechanic close by within seconds by accessing the internet on their smart phone.
All of this means that your company needs a website. And you know that, right? But what you may not know is that you can’t just have any website to be competitive online. Your website needs to stand out among the millions of others that belong to the other small business owners in your industry. So what makes an effective website?
1. A memorable domain name.
The most successful websites are easy to recall even without a business card. If you can get a domain that is the same as your business name, that is probably the best choice. However, it is possible the domain you want is already taken. If that is the case, you still want your domain to reflect your company’s product, service or mission. Another important thing to consider is the length of the domain name. If your company is called James Brothers Pool & Lawn Care, you probably want to shorten it to something like JamesBros.com or PoolandLawn.com.
2. Good design.
Even if you don’t have the budged for a high-end Flash website, you should still have site that is easy to read and navigate. It should have clear photos and descriptions of your products and services, and tell people about your company, pricing and other important policies. You should also make it easy for them to find your contact information. Keep the site design professional and clean—avoid lots of garish colors and patterns, too many graphics, obnoxious music, or anything else that will remind people of a MySpace page.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the use of keywords to drive search engine traffic to your website. These search engines list websites based on (among other things) the frequency of the search keywords on various websites. So if someone searches for Lawn and Pool Care, the search engine will bring up the website that uses these terms most frequently. That being said, if you attempt to get your website higher in the search engine by just listing the same word over and over again, you’ll be penalized. Search engines have sophisticated programming which helps them look out for these ‘black hat’ techniques. So when you use your key words, you want to make sure they are part of some substantial text on your site.
Your best bet is to have some well-written resource articles on your site which incorporate the top 50-100 keywords that pertain to your particular business or industry. For example, if you have a Pool & Lawn Care business, consider writing some articles such as “Pool Safety for the Whole Family”, or “Keeping Your Lawn Green.”
4. Get Listed
Just because you have a fantastic website and have worked on SEO doesn’t mean that it is easy to find. Take advantage of the online directories that list business websites. There are hundreds of free directories, and some which cost a small fee. The fee may be worth it if you are a doctor or lawyer or have a lot of competition in your community.
5. Bragging Rights
Letting people know who your happy clients are can be a great way to add an element of legitimacy to your website. Of course, you want to ask permission before you use your clients’ names on your website, but if they are happy with your service, they’ll usually be happy to. You can also provide space for clients to write their testimonials and let others know about how much they appreciate your service.
Another great idea is to sponsor a local non-profit organization or charity. You can then use their name and logo on your site, and they will often reciprocate by placing your name and logo on theirs—as well as other promotional items they hand out in the community.
More than any other tool, your business website has the opportunity to generate business and represent you to prospective clients. It is often their first impression of you, so make sure it is professional, inviting, and clearly expresses who you are and the quality of the work you do.
