By Will Anderson

Nowadays every company needs a website – including small companies. However, studies have shown that almost half of all small businesses don’t have a website. Since most people research a company online before contacting them, it’s essential to establish an online presence. The best way to do that is to make your website look like you’re running a very professional company, no matter how small your company may be.

Here are ten elements every online site should have:

  1. Keep it mobile-friendly- Phones are the most popular way for people to access the internet. When you’re designing your website, you need to remember this.
  2. Tell your story- The first thing you need to do is put your company’s purpose on the homepage. That is the first thing potential customers will see and will help them determine if you’re the company they want. It’s paramount for people looking at your website to know what you do and the services you provide. A simple way to tackle that is by creating an “About us” page. “About Us” pages are very common amongst small business websites.
  3. Make it easy to navigate- Don’t confuse people. Use clear navigation. If someone has trouble navigating your website, they’re way more likely to leave it.
  4. Use SEO- SEO is the process of increasing website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website or webpage to users of a web search engine.
  5. Pictures and positive reviews- Pictures and reviews will help anyone visiting your website see what you do and how well you do it. Using your images will make the site seem much more personal.
  6. Blog- Use blogs to tell people what products and services you provide. This will also help create more of a voice for your brand.
  7. Contact info- Make sure it is easy for potential customers to contact you. Put your social media icons on your homepage as well in a visible position. A “Contact Us” page, including phone number, email, address, and hours should be on every website. Think about putting this info in the top or bottom header as well.
  8. Good hosting- make sure to choose an excellent hosting company. There are so many web hosts now. Pick one that seems reputable and has excellent customer reviews. TLC Marketing Consultants use GoDaddy.
  9. Make it look nice- Keep your website neat. Know where to place text videos and pictures. You need to provide the best viewing experience possible for the customer. Consider hiring a web designer, if building your site is overwhelming.
  10. Informational footers- Footers are the tiny text at the bottom of the webpage that provides you more links and info – consider the following: sitemaps, copyright, privacy policy, terms of use, contact info and career pages. Social media accounts can also be put in the footer if you wish.