Are you looking to start a new business in 2015? Then you must consider building a website and trading online. Like it or not, the internet is the best tool at your disposal, and it could make or break your company. Regardless of which marketplace you want to enter, there are many benefits to having a good online presence. However, many new entrepreneurs get things wrong. While that is something you have to accept, there are ways in which you can limit the chances of falling victim to common errors. The design of your website is crucially important, as are the three elements we’ll discuss in this post.
Don’t worry too much if you’re not exactly tech savvy. You will get better results by paying for a professionally designed website anyway. Just make sure you speak at length with your chosen specialist to ensure they understand exactly what you expect.
1. Sleek and uncluttered pages.
No matter what you’re selling, it’s vital that your pages only contain the most necessary content. People without experience in the web design industry often make the mistake of overfilling their space with less than essential information. Your site should have an “about us” page, and that is where you can tell your story. Product pages should contain nothing more than descriptions, images and reviews. Try to keep things plain. White backgrounds have been proven to encourage more sales, and they limit the chances of your customers overlooking anything important.
2. Reliable payment systems.
Many people are hesitant when entering credit card details online these days. That’s because of all the negative scare stories they read in the press. For that reason, you need to ensure all your customer’s details are kept safe. Your chosen web design agency will be in the best position to offer advice on the best systems and solutions on the market today. You should also ask them to include a basic postcode address tool like UK Address Finder API. That will stop your customers wasting time typing at the checkout. Once they enter their postcode into such a tool, it will give them a menu that contains all the addresses that come under those numbers and digits. They then simply select their own.
3. An up-to-date blog.
There are lots of essential elements startup businesses need, but one of the most important is an up to date blog. Not only will that let customers know more information about your products or services, but it will also give you links that can be posted to social media sites. By posting one article each week, you could reach lots of new people. Also, the blog will increase the amount of pages on your site, and this make it easier for people to stumble across you when using search engines.
Presuming your website contains those three crucial elements, you should be good to go. Just remember that it can take a while for you to reach your full potential online, and so you need to stick at it.
See you back here tomorrow!
