Small business website design has been in the Internet arena for over two decades now and the trend keeps growing. It keeps growing because the consumer is getting progressively net savvy and small business cannot be seen to be lagging behind.

Simple designs can be effective

Any small business website seen lacking in sophistication runs the risk of being rejected by the users.
But sophistication does not mean complex designs. More simple the design, more can be its effectiveness. The small business website design should be clean and simple. The visitors should be able to get with ease what they are looking for.

Usability is a must

"Usability" is the foremost necessity for a small business website. The user should be able to log in quickly and easily. If he can't then it is most likely he will leave and not return.
The success of your online business depends on designing and developing a functional website and showcasing your products and services in the best possible manner.

Building your own website

The least expensive way to do this is building your own website. There are plenty of options available, such a free templates, wordpress sites and fully hosted services. If it is going to be your own site that you build, the costs involved will be that of a hosting plan and cost of your own time. If you don't have the necessary time, you can source out the job to a service provider.

Begin small, such as only with five essential pages, such as Home, About us, Products/Services, Testimonials, Contact Us. Try to avoid things that will slow down your site. A slow site is a sure way of losing customers.

Mistakes to avoid

To allow a small business website to function smoothly and effectively, it is important to ensure the following:

Don't neglect your site

Most small businesses neglect their websites. Ensure that your site gets the attention it deserves. Give it the importance it needs in your operations

Old and outdated content

Don't allow old and stale content to remain on your site. Your image and credibility will take a hit if customers find outdated content on your site.

Prominent display of contact details

Customers mostly visit a small business website to find phone numbers and address. Make sure these are displayed prominently on the site where it can be easily found.

Check related links regularly

These related links may be for customers to find more information. Therefore, always check that these links work perfectly and there are no broken links.

Flashes, buttons and scrolling

Flashes, buttons and scrolling text may appear interesting to you but are annoying to the user. If you have them on your site, discontinue them.

Fast loading website

Don't make the website heavy with unnecessary features. You website must load fast or you stand the risk of losing visitors.

These are some of the very common mistakes. But they are easy to avoid. This way your website will have all the basic elements to lead you to a successful online business.