7 REASONS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS SHOULDN'T SKIMP ON WEBSITE DESIGN AND WHY A GOOD HOMEPAGE MATTERS

Arthur Barnes

When you're starting a business, it's tempting to save money wherever you can. After all, you don't want to spend money on things that won't directly benefit your sales or bottom line. But there are some areas of marketing where cutting corners isn't smart—and website design is one of them.


Your website is the face of your brand. Your website is a great way to connect with customers.


Your website should be tied to your overall marketing strategies, and sales funnel, and a good homepage can help turn visitors into customers.

In this article, I'll discuss 7 talking points on why your small business should not skimp on website design, and why a good homepage matters for your business.

TALKING POINTS

1. YOUR WEBSITE IS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS


2. YOUR WEBSITE SHOULD BE TIED TO YOUR OVERALL MARKETING STRATEGIES AND SALES FUNNEL


3. A GOOD DESIGN CAN HELP YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR USERS


4. YOUR WEBSITE IS THE FACE OF YOUR BRAND


5.  YOUR HOMEPAGE IS THE GATEWAY TO YOUR WEBSITE


6. YOUR HOMEPAGE IS A TOOL FOR NURTURING YOUR LEADS


7. A GOOD HOMEPAGE CAN HELP TURN VISITORS INTO CUSTOMERS

TALKING POINTS EXPLAINED:

1. YOUR WEBSITE IS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH  CUSTOMERS

Sure, you could spend your time answering questions in person or by phone. But that takes away from other activities and can be draining on you. Instead, let your website do the talking!


You know how customers ask you questions that can be answered by a simple Google search? Your website is a great way to provide the answers.


If you have a blog, that's even better. You can post new content regularly and answer customer questions in the process.


For example, if someone asks about which of your products would be best for them, you could write an article about it or point them to an FAQ or video that covers that topic, and include a link to where they can buy it.


All these things help keep your customers happy and coming back for more!


Your website is a great way to provide information about your business, including:


  • What you do


  • How do you do it


  • Who do you do it for


  • When and where you do it


  • Why you do it (including pricing)


  • How you can be reached (email address, phone number)
Marketing Strategies and Sales Funnel

2. YOUR WEBSITE SHOULD BE TIED TO YOUR OVERALL MARKETING STRATEGIES AND SALES FUNNEL

Your website is an extension of your marketing strategy, and it should be tied to your sales funnel as well.


If you want to make sure that people are converting to your site, then think about how you can improve their experience with every step in the process. 


It should be part of the process that turns a visitor into a customer. That's why it's so important to ensure that everything you do on the site is geared toward increasing conversion rates, whether through getting more people to subscribe to your email list or making it easier for customers to make purchases, or taking advantage of your services.


A good website will also help you figure out what content will work best for you.


Do some research and see what kinds of things people like when they visit websites in general. This will help you decide what kind of content works best for your audience specifically—and ensure that whatever messages are being sent through visuals are consistent with those found elsewhere throughout the site or within other aspects of branding (such as social media).


Your website is a key part of your sales funnel, so it’s important to use it as such. It’s the first point of contact for a potential customer and can be used to connect with them at different points in their sales journey.


Using your website as a sales funnel is a great way to make sure that you are capturing leads at every stage of their journey. It also allows you to nurture them so they feel comfortable with your brand and are more likely to buy from you when the time comes.

Web Design

3. A GOOD DESIGN CAN HELP YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR USERS

What can good Web Design Do?:


  • A good design is an essential part of connecting with your users.


  • A good design can help you reinforce your brand image.


  • A good design can help your business grow.


  • A good design is essential to the success of your site.


But what is a "good" design? It's subjective, of course, but some basic principles apply to all websites.


Here are 9 tips for creating great web design to connect to your users:


1. Make it easy to navigate


2. Use legible fonts and colors to connect to your users


3. Create contrast between elements


4. Use white space wisely


5. Use appropriate images and videos


6. Don't make people scroll forever!


7. Keep it simple (but not too simple)


8. Use the right kinds of imagery for each project


9. Use typefaces that don't look like clipart or handwriting (unless you're going for that look)

Brand Image

4. YOUR WEBSITE IS THE FACE OF YOUR BRAND

If you're in business, you've probably heard the term "branding."


Consider Apple, whose logo is instantly recognizable. Though it's been refined over the years, it still retains its original shape and design elements—and colors (white on black) that are instantly identifiable as Apple's


And their typography is another example: they use the Ultra Light Extended instead of the Condensed version of Helvetica.


Apple's minimalist aesthetic is reinforced by its focus on sleekness and simplicity, but it remains distinctive enough to avoid feeling generic or boring.


Branding is the process of creating a unique and recognizable image in the minds of your customers. It helps you build trust with your audience, who can then rely on that trust when they make purchasing decisions.


Your website should be consistent with your brand image, which means it should reflect what you do and how you do it (and not just what you sell).


A consistent design is important for your website because it helps visitors get a sense of what your business is about.


A professional-looking website can improve brand recognition and build trust with customers by showcasing your company's capabilities - such as its professionalism and customer service.


Your website should be an essential part of your brand. Here are two reasons why:


  • Branding is about creating a consistent and recognizable image for your company.


  • Branding is about establishing an emotional connection with your customers by making them feel good about doing business with you.


Your website is the face of your brand, and it should reflect that. If you want to tell stories about the things you do, the people who work for you, or anything else that makes your business unique, it should be reflected in all aspects of your site. This includes a good homepage design.

Website Homepage

5. Your homepage is the gateway to your website

Your homepage is the first thing anyone will see on your website. It should be designed to grab attention and convey a clear idea of what you do, while also giving people a reason to stay and explore further.


Make sure your homepage is easy to navigate If you're trying to get visitors from Google, then you'll want to make sure that your website is easy for search engines to crawl and index. The more pages they can find on your site (especially ones that are relevant), the better—because it means they'll be able to be shown in the search results!


The homepage of your website should be designed to grab attention and convey a clear idea of what you do, while also giving people a reason to stay and explore further.


If you want to attract new customers and make sure that they stick around for longer than just one visit, don't just skim over it—the homepage is really that important!

Nurturing Leads pic

6. Your homepage is a tool for nurturing your leads

Your homepage is an excellent opportunity to get your leads interested in what you have to offer.

You can use your homepage as a tool for showing off all of the amazing things that you have to offer or simply provide information about your company.


An effective homepage should guide users toward getting the information they need, while also allowing you to collect contact information from interested parties.


It's also an excellent venue for you to explain what kinds of work your firm performs and how clients might benefit from it.


If someone lands on your homepage after searching for something specific on Google, this is an opportunity for them to be nurtured through content or email campaigns until they are ready to purchase from you.


It should include relevant information that will help keep your audience engaged and informed.


A good homepage can help you build a relationship with your customers. If you're not thinking about this, you're missing out on a vital opportunity to keep your leads engaged and nurture them into customers.


A good homepage is designed to keep website visitors engaged as they move through the conversion funnel, which is why it should also be designed to help you generate leads in the first place.


If your homepage isn't working for you, then it's time to make some changes. You can evaluate your current homepage using this checklist:


  • Is the homepage designed to help you convert visitors into leads?


  • Is it easy for visitors to find what they're looking for on your site?


  • Does it provide enough information about your company and product offerings so that people know what they're getting into before they fill out any forms?


  • Does it help your visitors understand what you do?


  • Do you have a clear call to action on your homepage?


  • Is there enough information for users to know whether or not they want to engage with your brand?


  • Is the design of your homepage appealing and easy to navigate?


  • Is your homepage clearly relevant to the person visiting it?


  • Does it clearly show value?


  • Is the content on your homepage easy to read and understand?


  • How many pages do you have when someone lands on your homepage?


  • Does it provide valuable, useful information for your customers?


  • Does it include a compelling copy?
Turn website visitors into customers pic

7. A GOOD HOMEPAGE CAN HELP TURN VISITORS INTO CUSTOMERS

Your homepage is the first impression you give to your customers. It's the best place to tell them who you are and what you do, as well as show off your personality and products, and services.


It's also an excellent place to make sure that your content is easily accessible from anywhere on the site. A good homepage should be simple and quick to navigate through so that visitors can find what they need quickly and easily.


Your homepage acts as a tool for nurturing leads throughout their sales funnel—from educating new visitors about who you are and what you do all the way to getting them ready to buy something from your company.


Your homepage is the first thing your visitors will see when they land on your website, so it’s important to make sure it’s clear, concise, and enticing. A good homepage can be the difference between a visitor staying on your site for just a few seconds or spending hours exploring everything you have to offer.


The best way to create a homepage that’s effective and engaging is to focus on the following elements:


  • An attention-grabbing headline (make it short and sweet)


  • A quick summary of what your company is all about—don’t forget to include any major benefits that customers will receive when they purchase from you.


  • A call-to-action (CTA), tells visitors exactly what you want them to do next.


  • A clear and concise lead magnet for new visitors (this could be a free e-book, video series, or another form of content).


  • An explanation of what your business does and who it serves (you may want to include case studies that show how you’ve helped others in the past).


  • A way for visitors to contact you if they have any questions.


Your website is an integral part of your business, and a good homepage helps it succeed.


A good homepage should:


Be easy to understand at a glance - Visitors should be able to see what your business is about within seconds of landing on your website. Make sure that a visitor can understand what makes your business unique within moments of landing on your site.


Be visually appealing - Your homepage should look good on any device because it's likely to be seen by customers across multiple devices like computers, smartphones, and tablets. The design should work well across all these devices while still looking professional and modern.


Be simple - The simpler your homepage is, the better—fewer distractions mean users will spend more time focused on what matters most: your products and services.


Correctly-placed navigational links - Links that help people find what they are looking for within site more easily.


Use compelling images and videos - If you have compelling visuals that represent what your business does well, use them on your homepage. Just be sure to include a clear call to action for people who want more information about what you do.


Have a clear-cut call to action - A call to action that entices visitors to continue exploring the site's interior and helps them arrive at a goal.


A homepage should also act as an introduction to your company, its values, and what it does. This can be done through a blog post or a short video explaining what you do and why it matters to people.


It should also be the place where you can showcase your best work and allow visitors to get a feel for what it is that you do. If they like what they see, then they are more likely to click through to another page of your website or contact you directly.


Your homepage is an extension of who you are as a business, so treat it as such!

FINAL THOUGHTS

The success of your business can be easily evaluated by a single glance at your website. Visitors will know right away if you're a trustworthy company, so provide the right information and give reasons to trust your brand.


Overall, it's clear that a good homepage can impact your business in a number of ways. The key takeaway here is that you shouldn't skimp on your website design just because you're starting out as a small business. The potential benefits far outweigh any costs involved with hiring a professional website designer or developer to help create an effective homepage.


If you’ve never thought about your website as much more than a place to post your content, I hope this article has shown you that it’s so much more. And if you have been thinking about it all along, great! I hope these tips will help you make the most of your home pages and show them off to potential customers in the best way possible.


If you are not willing to skimp on website design and understand the importance of how a good homepage matters for your business's website, let us help! Contact Us and we can get you set up with a website design that is customized just for your business needs in no time at all.

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