5 Tips for Creating a Great Business Website

by Gloria Martinez http://womenled.org

The days when running a website for your small business was an optional marketing tool are long gone. According to statistics, 85% of customers use the internet to find local businesses. No matter what type of business you own, you need a professionally designed website. If your website isn't up to snuff, these tips can help you make it better.

1.Optimize Your Site for Search Engines

Passing out business cards or running ads with your website URL may bring in a few visitors, but the majority of people find your site by using a search engine. Your site must be optimized to rank well for the search terms customers are most likely to use when looking for a business like yours. Google provides webmasters with a variety of tips, such as using accurate descriptive titles, mentioning all your products and services, updating your content for seasonal trends, and getting other high-quality sites to link to your content.

2.Create Customer-Focused Content

SEO techniques are great for getting people to your site, but if you want people to read your site and make a purchase, your content needs to be compelling. Research your market to determine what information is useful to your customers and pack your site with that content. Answer the questions your customers are most likely to be asking.

3. Make Sure Your Site Is Fast

Approximately 40% of customers will wait no more than three seconds for a site to load. Aim for loading times that are no longer than two to three seconds. If you are trying to get by with a web hosting package that is intended for personal sites, upgrade to a business package. If you can afford it, get a dedicated host, virtual private server, or cloud hosting plan instead of a shared plan. Keep your file sizes small. Avoid unnecessary plugins. Only use page redirects when you must. Delete unused code and unnecessary characters, spaces, and formatting. Turn on browser caching and host your videos on external platforms.

4. Optimize Your Site for Mobile Use

Over half of all internet traffic comes from smartphones. If your site doesn't perform well on mobile phones, you could be losing out on customers. Additionally, major search engines, such as Google, now take how well a site performs on mobile devices into account when determining search engine rankings. Test your site on a variety of mobile phones or use a tool that emulates mobile phones to determine how well your site performs. Pay particular attention to how long it takes to load your site, how difficult it is to read your site on a small screen and how easy it is to navigate your site using a mobile device.

5. Use Your Budget Wisely

The larger and more complex your website is, the more it costs to build and maintain. You may need a more expensive hosting plan, professional graphics, and a professional web designer. You may also need to purchase software packages and other tools. Use a website design cost calculator to help figure out estimated cost for designing a website. If you can't afford every feature you want, focus on allocating your budget to the most important ones. It is not enough to just have a website. You need a site that looks and performs like a professional made it. These tips can help your site succeed.