According to a recent survey of U.S. small businesses, most businesses now have a website. But many – and we’re talking an alarming number – have overlooked the basic essentials of a great website.
“With the fundamentals of a good website seemingly ingrained deeply with the small business community, it’s troubling to see how many small business websites still miss the mark,” says Craig Allesi, the founder of MarkedManMedia. “Our research shows that nearly 20% of all websites fail to make their contact information easily accessible. That’s horrifying.”
Earlier this month, Kylie Moore – a social media manager at Fusion 360 – served up a helpful reminder of the “essentials” of a great website on the company’s popular blog.
Fusion 360 is a leading digital marketing agency based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“Winning the Web starts with having a firm command of the fundamentals; they’ve canvassed Web designers, consultants and marketers to come up with the essentials of any effective website,” Moore writes, rattling off a litany of expert tips, including:
- The first step in website development is to tell everyone who and what you are. A website must scream the basics to everyone who comes across it. Don’t leave people guessing visitors must immediately recognize who you are and what you do.
- Make sure that your company’s contact information is conspicuous throughout the site.
- Your website should also have a clear path for visitors to follow. One simple solution is to have a tab on your homepage that says “I’m looking for” with a drop down menu that includes the most visited links, pages and products.
- Make sure your code is simplified and your servers are upgraded so your website doesn’t take too long to load. “There is now a three second rule when it comes to website performance,” Moore writes. “If it takes a potential client more than three seconds to find what they need on your website, you may be missing out on business.”
For more tips and insight (or to learn what Fusion360 can do for your website and digital marketing), click here.
