The phone book is dying. In 2015, when someone needs something, they Google it. Thus, high quality small business website design is a requirement for success. With so many possibilities available for website design, here’s my list of the most important do’s and don’ts for the online face of your business.

DO:

Simplify navigation. Nothing deters a potential customer like getting lost on your website, so make it as foolproof as possible. If you’re wondering whether or not a page is necessary, it probably isn’t. Also essential is a logically-organized site map, even if it’s just a header or side bar with pages categorized.

Include a Contact Us. If you are successful, you know the value of being accessible to warm leads, potential employees, and other business interests. Make sure your website includes a secure page, button, or feature that allows visitors to reach out to you.

Be mobile-friendly. At a given time, the majority of people browsing the internet are now on mobile devices. Skimping on mobile formatting can be a costly mistake, as visitors on their phones are likely to be discouraged by tiny text and a won k y  l a y o ut on a website not designed for their device. Reactive websites automatically adjust to mobile viewing, saving you the hassle of developing a separate mobile version.

DON’T:

Have ANY AUTOPLAYING SOUNDS. Imagine walking into a store and immediately being ambushed by loud music and voices. What makes that any more acceptable for an online storefront?  Unless you want to annoy your visitors (and scare off those discretely browsing from work), just…don’t.

Post irrelevant content or links. The argument behind posting random things on your business website is a half-baked attempt at generating traffic and link reciprocity. Even in the unlikely event that this works, it significantly hurts the aesthetic of your website and looks unprofessional. Keep it relevant, even if it means having a little less content.

Use elaborate Flash decorations. This is a matter of time and resources; a dizzying Flash intro for your site isn’t really in vogue these days, and can be very labor-intensive. Once again, for reasons of site aesthetics and user convenience, it’s better to skip this one.

Today, your business’s online presence is just as important as its physical presence— more important for many businesses. Your website is often a customer’s first impression of who you are and what you’re about, so follow these tips and make it count.

This entry was originally posted on Sunday, February 15th, 2015 at 10:00 am and is filed under Small Business Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.