Having a website is one thing.
Having a website that actually helps your business is something very different.
I work with a lot of small business owners who have a website that looks perfectly respectable. It has the usual pages, the logo is there, the services are listed and there is a contact form somewhere.
But when I ask a simple question:
“What do you actually want your website to do?”
there often isn’t a clear answer.
And that is where a lot of websites start to struggle.
Your website needs a job
A small business website should not simply exist because businesses are expected to have one.
It should have a purpose.
That might be:
- generating enquiries
- encouraging people to book a call
- selling a product
- explaining your services
- building trust
- helping people decide whether you are the right person to work with
Ideally, it will do several of those things.
But if you are not clear about what you want visitors to do next, there is a good chance they will not be clear either.
Can people understand what you do quickly?
One of the first things I look at when reviewing a website is the homepage.
Within a few seconds, can a new visitor answer:
What does this business do?
Who is it for?
How can it help me?
What should I do next?
If those answers are buried underneath clever wording, huge blocks of text or lots of competing messages, the website is making the visitor work too hard.
And most visitors will not work very hard.
They will simply leave.
Make the next step obvious
A surprising number of websites make it difficult for people to take action.
There may be a contact page hidden in the navigation, but very little encouragement anywhere else.
If someone is interested in working with you, make it easy.
That could be:
Book a call
Request a quote
Send an enquiry
View our services
Join our community
Buy now
The exact action will depend on the business, but the principle is the same.
Do not make people guess what comes next.
Trust matters more than fancy design
Good design absolutely matters.
But your website does not need to win an award.
It needs to make people feel confident about contacting you.
Things that help include:
- clear descriptions of your services
- real photographs
- testimonials
- examples of your work
- an About page that actually tells people something useful
- straightforward contact details
- up-to-date information
A simple website that feels clear and trustworthy can outperform a beautiful website that leaves people confused.
Your website should change as your business changes
This is another one I see regularly.
A website gets created and then more or less forgotten.
Meanwhile the business changes.
New services are introduced. The target customer changes. Prices change. The business becomes more specialised. The owner becomes much clearer about what they actually want to do.
But the website still represents the business from three years ago.
Your website should grow with your business.
That does not necessarily mean rebuilding it every year.
Sometimes a few sensible changes to the homepage, service pages and calls to action can make a huge difference.
A simple website check
If you have not looked at your own website properly for a while, try this.
Open your homepage and imagine you know absolutely nothing about the business.
Ask yourself:
Do I immediately understand what this business does?
Do I know whether it is for me?
Do I trust what I am seeing?
Is it obvious what I should do next?
If the answer to any of those is no, you have probably found somewhere to start.
Final thought
Your website should be more than an online brochure.
It should be part of how you market your business, build trust and create opportunities.
And sometimes improving it does not mean starting again.
It simply means getting clearer about what the website is supposed to achieve.
If you would like another pair of eyes on your website, feel free to get in touch. I am always happy to have an informal conversation and help you work out what could be improved.