If your business does not have an online presence, it's technically losing out on several potential customers. These days businesses are resorting to online modes of marketing, advertisement, and payment. This is mainly because the business industry is seeing a transformation from just shops and retail stores to online e-commerce websites. In the forthcoming days, online business is just bound to grow because of the blind trust placed by consumers on e-commerce websites.
Small businesses are highly appreciated and have been flourishing for the past few years. These small businesses sell artistic and creative handmade goods to customers. Upon my heading to Instagram, you'd find a flood of small businesses operating their marketing campaigns. Such small businesses also accept orders via social media messaging services. However, once the business reaches a certain stature and has more customers, handling business just via social media can become difficult and also looks unprofessional. For such small businesses, it is highly recommended to have well-designed websites of their own to communicate with customers, manage existing orders and receive new orders.
If you're looking to start a new website for your small business, then here are a few web design tips and website design mistakes that you must avoid to make an attractive website to catch more customers. Keenly lookout for website design tips for small businesses, they will show you the guiding light towards a full-fledged attractive website.
In this article
Part 1 What Do You Know About Website Design and Its Importance?
The first thought that must have come to your mind is why give the website layout and design so much importance? Wouldn't a generic layout serve the purpose? Why even focus to improve website user experience, does it really matter? Well, look at it this way. Would you rather shop from a shady grocery shop or would you choose a fancy supermarket? The answer obviously is the latter, even though the latter might be a tad bit expensive in comparison to the retail store.
The human eye is always attracted to fancy-looking things, it's called as visual appeal. The same stands true in the case of websites as well. The user interface plays a crucial role in the success of an app or a website and hence designing the website in an aesthetic yet utilitarian style is important. An ideal website is one that is equipped with all the necessary functionalities and at the same time manages to cast an enchanting appeal on the user's mind.
Many times, small businesses tend to avoid the improvisation of the user interface and commit web design mistakes, today we shall understand more web creation tips and web design tips for beginners so your website can attract the most number of fishes in the sea.
Part 2 Major Mistakes in Website Designs that Should Be Avoided
Before beginning a new venture, it is always advisable to look up for quick tips that can help you overcome the challenges that you're likely to face while accomplishing a particular task. Well, to save up your valuable time and data bits, here are top website layout tips and website design mistakes that you must try and avoid!
1. Your website takes an excessively long time to load
The old days of buffering are long gone now. We now live in the age of 4g and soon 5g will be taking over too. With such extensively high internet service available, if your website takes excessively long to load, it'd annoy the customers and refrain them from visiting your website. They may even click the back button before your website even loads. Let alone creating an impact, such a website that would take minutes to load would not even be visited by the users. Hence, it is important to ensure that your website loads in a nominal amount of time.
2. The website isn't mobile-friendly
It is a fact that most of the internet users use mobile phones to access the internet. This is mainly because not everyone can afford a laptop or a desktop. If a major share of your potential customers is mobile users, then it also becomes necessary for you to keep your website mobile-friendly. This would enable consumers who do not possess a pc to also purchase from your website and hence widen your reach.
3. Unattractive design or layout
As we discussed earlier, the visual aspect of a website plays a critical role in shaping the success of the website. An unorganized website that does not have things In the right place and is difficult to navigate through is often not preferred by users. While designing your website, you should ensure that it's straightforward to navigate through your website's different pages. You must also make sure that the pages of your website are designed aesthetically and have a user-friendly layout.
4. Lack of call to action
A website without a call to action is like a shirt without buttons. Well, that was on a lighter note, A call to action completes the website's motive. Without a fitting call to action, the users wouldn't be urged to buy the product or reach out to you for customization. After checking out your website and skimming through the content on your website, the users need to know the next step that they must take. Hence, a call to action is a must to enhance reach.
5. Lack of SEO
Although traditional and old-school, SEO continues to be the kingmaker. SEO is key to Enhancing reach and the lack of SEO can hurt your reach. SEO is a crucial strategy to drive web traffic organically. Moreover, after the implementation of SEO, you should also keep a check on analytics and regularly take note of your daily visitors on your website. Analyzing by what margin your website's traffic is growing is necessary and with analytics.
6. Lack of concise information
In every business, content is always the king. Well-formatted content which consists of precise information always adds value to your website. Content plays a major role in leaving an impact on the website visitors' minds. The product descriptions must be framed in a manner to attract customers and push them to buy the product. Content is hence the key to increase the conversion rate and ultimately boost sales.
7. Picking the right color scheme and font size.
The modeling of a website includes several aspects that need attention. To weave a perfect website that is attractive enough, it is important to take into consideration even the smallest aspects of the website's design. Even small factors can affect the traffic of the website. Picking the right font color and size hence plays a vital role. Firstly, the font color and font size should be apt enough such that the content is clearly readable. Secondly, you must ensure that the website has a color theme and looks attractive.
8. Update your content on a regular basis
As time passes, information tends to become inappropriate and invalid. Having the wrong information on your website can do a considerable amount of harm to your website and leave a negative impact on the visitors. Hence, it is extremely important to proofread your website regularly and check for any incorrect information. Upon finding such information that is invalid, the content should either be removed or updated immediately.
9. Putting up HD images of the product in different angles
Assuming that you're starting a website for your small business, it Will obviously display the different products that you're willing to sell. While setting up the website, you should make sure to put up attractive HD images of the product in various angles. The images must not be a blur and should look attractive enough. This will urge the visitors to buy the product and not just window shop.
10. Add catchy slogans and animations
"Shop with our small biz, with the utmost ease"
"Shop with us for the best discount"
Does the first slogan sound better or the Second? It's obviously the first one because it is much more catchy when compared to the other one due to its rhyme scheme. Adding such catchy slogans would catch the attention of the visitors and hence, attract them. Animations are another tool that can increase the attractiveness of your website, they'd also enhance the user experience!
Conclusion:So as we see, we've analyzed how important it is to improve the website user experience and hence seen the top website design tips for small businesses. A website can be instrumental in enhancing the online presence of the business by leaps and bounds. We've also taken a look at the top website design mistakes to avoid while weaving a website for your small business. So if you're planning to weave a website for your small business, do remember these website design tips!