All of this is to say that your business website is an important part of your marketing and your business as a whole, so it’s important that you get it right. Read our guide to make sure you have all the elements of a business website nailed down, from establishing your branding, and creating engaging content to handling the data so that you rank amongst the top tech sites in the USA.
Read Also: How Good UX Design Can Lead To A Better Business
Table of Contents
4 Things You Should Know for Your Business Website
Before creating and while creating your business website you should know the following things.
The name
Before you even get to making your website, you’d better have two things nailed down: your company name and your company logo. These are essentially the same thing, only one is text, the other visual and they will appear in different places.
Your company name is arguably more important than your given name. Your customers should be able to decipher from as few words as possible what you’re all about, so it is often soaked in subliminal meaning. The level of meaning depends on your industry.
If you are looking to be as straightforward as possible, like starting a law firm, it’s fine to go with “Thomas and Sons Law Firm”, but bigger brands with more room to play have added a lot of extra meaning to their names, like Nike, which is a sports brand named after the Greek goddess of victory. Of course, there are law firms representing movements that would go with something full of meanings, and sports brands that want to go the serious route. Decide what suits your approach to business and go with it.
The logo
Your logo might take a little more thought. It is a visual display of everything you stand for, so even the most straightforward of industries would have imagery and symbolism involved. Like the law firm, which often adopts the scales of justice as a logo.
The key here is simplicity, because it will need to appear in a variety of situations, able to adapt to appearing on Times Square billboards or the corner of a mobile app. You’re not looking for a renaissance painting, but an icon of symbolism that is simple enough to adapt to a lot of situations.
The simplest logo, for an example, is probably Apple’s. It’s an apple that represents a tech giant. The connection there is the famed story of Isaac Newton, who is said to have created his theory of gravity when an apple fell on his head. It was a revolutionary step forward for science, much like Apple aims to be.
In both cases, it will be helpful to get a pen and paper out. Make a mind map with your business at the center. Shoot off in all directions what your business does and what you aim to portray, what your principles are, who your demographic is, etc., and from there, add symbols that represent these concepts.
The layout
Now we get down to actually building your website. If you’re not one for coding, you can use a website builder like WIX or WordPress to create your website with a template. But there are some general rules you should be following.
Make sure the layout of your website is clear. It should be easy for your users to access everything they need to from the home page. Invite them to explore your products, present them with offers, and make sure the menu has everything you have to offer.
While you’re at it, make sure the path is clear from product to payment. If there is a glitch, a lost page, or another error, the path to the exit will be obstructed and the user will quit the site, losing you a sale.
Even if you’re not selling anything, users aren’t about to tolerate any glitches. They are fickle creatures who aren’t going to wait for a long loading screen or bugs, which will cause them to click off and you to lose engagement.
The features
Chances are, whatever the purpose of your business website, these website builders can accommodate it. The secondary point of your website is to make things a lot easier for your users and customers, which means you will need to add features to make things clear.
If you have a blog, you can use a template that showcases the latest posts you have. If you are in an industry that relies on appointments, like restaurants, salons, or dentistry, you can add a booking forum to make it easier for users to book their time. Add live chat so that users can ask questions easily or a chatroom to make it a community area. There is a lot that can be implemented, and it will be well-received by users looking at your site.
Read Next: Essential Brand Identity Elements Your Business Needs in 2020
