Business Website Do’s & Don’ts

• Teo

We know how important your business website is and this is why we prepared a guide on things to do and things to avoid. Please keep in mind that there is plenty that goes into a business website and this list is not exhaustive. Let’s touch on a few key things to consider in terms of your website.

Do These and Do Them With Confidence

Your best friend to keep the website visually pleasing. A brand guide is part of your Brand’s Identity Package. So, what goes in the Brand Guide is the Brand Guidelines document which contains the brand strategy and also a breakdown of how to use the visual materials like fonts for example. The Style Tile is another element that is actually a part of the Brand Guidelines document. It’s normally presented separately to allow business owners to view it with ease, instead of searching through the guidelines document when can be long sometimes. In one simple page, the Style Tile gives you the logos, fonts, and color scheme for the brand. It’s important to use the fonts and color scheme included in your Brand Guide as these are developed by specialists and ensure there is no clashing between colors and visuals. As we have mentioned before – it’s all about pleasing the eyes first and then wow with content. Every experienced business owner would tell you the truth that details matter. Don’t overlook them and leave certain things to professionals to avoid failure.

“All creativity is a work in progress” – Dean Cavanagh

Once you have your visuals up to a high standard, it is time to look at the contents too. Nobody fancies an empty shell, right? You want to show that your brand is worthy of trust, then get down and put some content. The way you deliver information on your business website is extremely important. Have you seen these websites that contain pretty much just text – yeah, we don’t like them either! Keeping things interesting, adding a bit of personal bling is crucial because you’ve got people looking at your website. And these people need to relate, they need to feel your energy to trust your brand. Creativity is essential for any type of work, however, make sure it is authentic. Don’t steal other people’s work, you need to respect it, so find those things that make you stand out from the crowd and make sure to use them.

Don’t Forget About These

Don’t forget to optimize your business website for mobile devices. Do you know how we all love to browse the web on our journey to or from work? We know you do this too, so, imagine the following situation. There is this company website you found and can’t wait to buy that item as you just got paid. When you open the website on your phone it takes ages to load, annoying isn’t it? It is so annoying that you might even decide not to bother at all. Business websites are extremely important, but not just the desktop versions. The reason is that in today’s digital era, we spend more and more time on our mobile devices as we are constantly on the go. Focus on how your website is optimized for mobile in terms of structure, design, page speed, etc. According to specialists, it might be a good idea to forget about Flash, as very often it is not supported by mobile devices. Use HTML5 instead, it will allow you to create special effects that are definitely visible for your mobile users too. And another simple, yet important detail for mobile design – remember, your customers are on the go, the screen is big but never big enough. The point is to ensure that buttons on your website are big enough for users to easily access them, it is so off-putting to click on something that doesn’t work or click accidentally on a random page. It’s all about psychology – what you find annoying online is often the common view, so keep that in mind when designing the website. Over-simplifying the mobile version is never a good idea since the magic of your website is lost. It has to be a mini-version that has not lost the flavor. If the task is too much, or you simply lack the technical knowledge, we are always here to help.

Don’t over-complicate the page. This is a very common mistake guys, so please don’t do it. We know you have good intentions at heart and you want to make your business website exquisite, but sometimes less is more. Overcomplicating your website can truly have a negative effect on your audience. When information is not displayed clearly or there’s simply too much of it – things are not looking good. People’s cognitive abilities are not all the same, you should always keep that in mind. And as with many other aspects of life, your website has to be stylish, not tacky. When a business website is overcomplicated users might find it difficult to navigate and get annoyed, which could then lead to potential losses as they’ve lost the desire to shop with you. Not only that, remember how I said we tend to share negative information more than anything? Remember that! People are more likely to share when they had a bad experience with a company and that can really destroy you. This is our guide on do’s and don’ts everyone, short but filled with flavor! We hope you enjoyed it and can’t wait for your insight! Join our discussion and tell us if they work for you, what was the impact, and also have you made any of the mistakes we mentioned? Sharing information with fellow business people will help you, but also others. In difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remember – a helping hand (or in this case useful tips) are essential to keep small businesses afloat! Don’t hesitate to ask, but also share your observations, take care, and stay safe.