7 Powerful Website Creation Secrets for Tri-Town Area Business Owners

Website are important for small business owners, perhaps more than they may realize. If you want a top-notch website that can stand out and leave a lasting impression on your visitors, you have to go the extra mile and make it different than the usual fare. To help you out, the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce brings you seven not-so-well-known tips that could give your site extra oomph.

1. Customers Expect Content Centered on Them, Not Your Company   

Yes, your website is an online representation of your business. But that doesn’t mean customers are necessarily interested in your history, achievements, or culture. They usually just want to be served – quickly at that. Make sure your site’s content is focused on their needs. You can and should include company-related info, but don’t make it the central theme. 

2. Accessibility Will Net You More Customers  

57 million Americans have a disability of some form, reports Interactive Accessibility. Some of them have trouble grasping keyboards while others have difficulty identifying colors. They represent a significant percentage of the population. Making your site accessible is not only the right thing to do, it also makes it usable to millions of potential customers. 

3. Your Site Needs a Solid Foundation to be SEO-Friendly

Your site may have the best content in its niche, but that doesn’t guarantee that it’ll be featured in a Google search result. You have to actively optimize it for search engines. This tends to be a long-term endeavor. Some suggestions are having it done in HTML, utilizing LSI, and making use of inbound links. Relevant related keywords are the foundation of LSI. If you’re not sure which keywords to use for titles, you can use Ubersuggest or Google keyword planner tool to pinpoint them for free. Be sure to mix up short and long-tail keywords to increase the odds that your site gets picked up in search engine rankings.

4. Web Analytics is Power 

Web analytics tools give you a variety of data about your site, its visitors, and visitor behavior. Some examples are traffic analytics, advertising research, advertising, PLA research, backlinks, and organic research. With the right tools, you can gather data, analyze it, and use it to improve your website – and even your business. 

5. Multiple Content Types are a Necessity 

Unlike the 90s or 2000s, text-only sites are no longer viable. Not only do customers want multimedia content options – videos, pictures, and interactivity – for convenience, but search engines do too. So lean towards images and videos when you are curating content. Need to turn your PDF to an image? No problem! Conversion tools are free and easy to find online. You can pull out an image from a larger PDF or convert the entire file. Either way, you just add the file to the drop zone, select the new file type, and hit Convert. 

Media-rich sites are automatically featured higher than text-only ones. However, don’t rule out the power of written content — you still need to keep your site active. You can also include banners to your website or social media posts. Even if you’re not a designer, you can create a great customized banner by using free banner design templates. It’s as easy as scrolling through the pre-designed options, finding one that seems on brand for your business, and making some edits. You can change the colors, fonts, and text, and even insert new graphics or a video. 

6. Testimonials and Reviews are Reassuring 

Customers – especially new ones – are unlikely to trust your business right off the bat. Featuring testimonials and reviews prominently on your site makes it more transparent and trustworthy. Customers can gain a feel for your business through other people’s experiences. It makes your business more approachable and relatable. It’s a small but potentially impactful change.  

7. Less is More  

Keep in mind that modern-day web visitors are constantly bombarded by information from all directions – advertisements, news, messages, work info, and more. Making your site simple and uncluttered can pay off because it reduces the burden on visitors. Favor clean design, easy navigation, and clear content to make your offering easy to grasp and digest. Less is more.

Conclusion

The best sites are always works in progress. That means they evolve and change, keeping pace with technology, user expectations, and the latest trends. For the best results, keep adding to your site by using free online tools, and refine it over time. You will slowly – but surely – be rewarded for your efforts. 

If you’re ready to grow your business with the help of great local resources and partnerships, join the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce.