How to keep your website simple

With time at a premium and your attention the new currency, getting information across quickly and easily has never been more important. In this article, we’ll look at how to keep your website simple. This will enable you to concentrate on the essential building blocks you need for your small business website.

Functionality first

Think about the purpose of your website first and build the functionality around that. Does your website simply need to display your business details and services or do you have lots to say on a blog? What you’re wanting to achieve will influence the site’s functionality.

Single page vs multipage

If you don’t have much to say or have a small budget, use a single page. The simplest website you can create for your business needs only a few key items. Strip things back to the essentials and make it simple for your visitors to understand your offering.

Multipage websites are the most common and for good reason. The potential for SEO is enormous. Having a content-rich website will gain more results over time. Make a page plan for this functionality from the outset and drive traffic to them. 

Have a clear call to action

What do you want the visitor to do once they’re on your website? Sign up to your newsletter? Enquire now? Make a purchase? These are all a ‘call to action’ to your website visitor. If you don’t tell the person what to do, how will they know? Set clear call to actions to instruct visitors. 

Value proposition

A value proposition is what tells people what you do, who for and how it impacts them. This is usually encapsulated in a sentence in the main top section of your website. Using a value proposition will enable the visitor to identify if they’re in the right place quickly. Using a bulleted list to accompany your value proposition is also a good idea if you have a broad offering. 

Outcomes

Rather than just listing processes of what you do, think of the outcomes you provide. For example, the outcome of hiring an SEO (search engine optimisation) specialist would be a higher ranking on Google. However, there are over 200 processes involved in SEO. Your website visitor is looking for the outcome, not the process. What outcomes do you provide to your customers? Make a list and work them organically into your copy.

User experience

The process of visitors getting in touch, buying something or navigating your website should be easy. Use friends and family to test your website, set them an objective and use their feedback to improve your website.

Website structure

Every story has a beginning, middle and end, your website is the same. The beginning is what the visitor sees first. This could be part of a larger marketing campaign or simply your home page. The middle is what content they digest. This could be your blog, shop, portfolio or services page. This is the main reason for their visit. The end is the outcome they’re looking for, information, a product or even deciding to hire you.

At each point of the visitor’s journey around your website, make it simple to navigate to find what they’re looking for next. A well-structured header menu, footer or contact section on your pages might be all you need. Is your website easy to get around or are things more hidden than you desire? Make small adjustments over time and test the user experience. 

Design it yourself or hire a web designer?

With so many template-driven, off the shelf solutions out there for websites, it seems hardly worth hiring a designer. Designing your website yourself can save you money. But is it worth it? 

If you’re running a small business, is your time best spent learning how to become a web designer, or is your time more valuable running the company? The answer will always depend on your situation, budget, time and technical ability. 

If you’re just starting and have no money to launch your business, a template builder could be your only option. However, if you’re beyond startup and your business is making money, this is the ideal time to invest in web design. Having an expert handle your website will only help your business progress forward. 

If you’re ready to take the next step, please contact us today or check out our website projects featured below.