Standout small business website features — and how to implement them

We probably don’t need to convince you to create an online presence for your small business. However, there’s a big difference between developing a presence and making sure it converts potential customers — and that’s why small business website features merit consideration.
The good news is that many stellar examples consistently feature the same small business website features.

Of course, copying other sites directly isn’t usually a great strategy. However, it’s a smart idea to study what elements work well and let them inspire your own website.

In this article, we’ll discuss five standout small business website features you’ll need to consider, and them explain how to achieve them; however, let’s look deeper into why you should optimize your website in the first place!

Why an optimized business website is essential

As we alluded to earlier, it’s simply not enough to have an online presence. There are many calling card-style websites out there, and the vast majority have the same issue — they are not focused on making money! That might sound callous, but ultimately, your business thrives on income. Therefore, small business website features should be optimized for converting visitors, just as a physical storefront would be.

If this is a new concept for you, imagine your customer at the top of a funnel and your product at the bottom. The goal is to complete their journey through that funnel. If your small business website features don’t contribute, potential conversions could slip through a crack and be lost.

In a nutshell, making sure your website is pushing visitors through your sales funnel is crucial. What’s more, this process relies on certain small business website elements being present and optimized.

5 small business website features

Now let’s get down to the focus of this piece — the small business website features you should include yourself. They’re presented in no particular order, although the design of your site should be a primary concern.

1. Clear and modern visual design.

2. Primary call-to-action.

3. Prominent contact information.

4. Social proof markers.

5. Strong and consistent content.

Ready to create a standout online presence? Keep reading to learn how to implement these small business website features.

1. Clear and modern visual design

Having a website that’s easy to navigate, readable and attractive to look at is the equivalent of making a strong first impression. While any business can benefit from professional visuals, your priorities here do depend on your niche and target audience.

The easiest route is to hire a web designer upfront, but your budget might not stretch that far. We recommend first analyzing your current site, and then making changes to alleviate the problems you notice. Just keep in mind that a simple design, rather than one that employs the latest trends, will likely best serve your goals.

Editor’s note: Need a beautiful site but worried about your technical know-how? Don’t sweat it. Try out GoDaddy’s GoCentral Website Builder. With it’s swipe-to-style interface, professional layouts and images, and ease of use, you can have a stunning site up and running in less than an hour.

2. Primary call-to-action

Determining your site’s call-to-action (CTA) means first asking one simple question you should already have the answer to: What do you want your customers to do on your website? Knowing this gives you something to focus on, and serves as a measuring stick for any decisions you’ll make in the future.

There’s been plenty written on the subject of CTAs. However, if the concept of these small business website features is alien to you, taking an afternoon to go through some well-crafted examples will help you to more effectively nurture the potential leads who come to your site.

3. Prominent contact information

You find these small business website features everywhere, although they might not be optimized for conversions. Giving potential customers a hassle-free way to contact you slides (rather than pushes) them through your funnel.

At the bare minimum, you should include an email address, physical address (if relevant), and links to your social media accounts. If you have a physical location, a telephone number and visual map are both vital. As for placement, the simplest approach is to place contact details in your header and footer, although there are other places to consider as well.

4. Social proof markers

Humans naturally don’t like to miss out, so when they see others talking up a product or service, it can influence their buying decisions. As you might imagine, including this element on your own site can bolster your conversions.

The simplest approach is to add customer testimonials to your home page. However, you can also place trust badges, such as security and payment seals, throughout your site (such as at your checkout screen). This can serve to constantly remind the reader that their money and personal information is safe with your business.

5. Strong and consistent content

Finally, your content marketing is so important that it can even make up for a poor approach to other areas of your site. This element mainly encompasses your blog, and ignoring it isn’t an option. What’s more, it can also incorporate every aspect we’ve previously mentioned.

Many large blogs have a dedicated manager, which is an indication of the work level involved. If you’re not yet running a blog, now is the time to get started. The good news is that there’s lots of advice on how to run a successful content marketing campaign. Our main recommendation is to make sure you’re posting regularly — once a week is a great start.

Conclusion

A website that can help your efforts to convert leads into customers will practically pay for itself. What’s more, if run correctly, it could be a semi-passive lead generation and nurturing tool. Because of this, making sure its elements are optimized is worth the effort.