A Website as an Investment
Investing in a website is an important first step for any new or small business owner. A free social media profile is helpful, but it isn’t enough. When someone hears about your business, one of the first things they’ll do is search for you online. They expect to find a website with basic information like your hours, location, services and ways to contact you. There’s another important distinction: you don’t own your social media accounts. A platform can change its algorithm, limit your reach, lock your account or disappear altogether. Your website is digital real estate that you control.
Use that space to clearly explain what you do, who you serve and how someone can buy from you, hire you or get in touch. Using consistent language, logos, colors and photography across your website and social media also helps people recognize your business and builds trust over time.
Helpful Tips for a Small Business Website
- Do use clear language. Tell people what you offer without making them work too hard to figure it out.
- Do include clear calls to action (CTA). Buttons like “Call Us,” “Request a Quote,” “Book a Tour” or “Shop Now” tell visitors exactly what to do next.
- Do make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Your site should be just as easy to navigate from a phone or tablet as it is from a desktop computer.
- Do invest in authentic photography. Whenever possible, skip the stale stock images and show your actual business, products, people and customers. Warm, professional photography immediately makes your website feel more personal and credible.
- Don’t set it and forget it. Update your website regularly with new photos, services, team members, projects, FAQs or blog content. Fresh, relevant content can also help improve your visibility in search results.
- Do answer the questions your customers are already asking. An FAQ or blog page is a great place to provide useful information. It can also improve SEO, or search engine optimization, and GEO, which helps your content appear in generative or AI-powered search results.
- Do create a consistent visual identity. Choose a simple color palette and no more than two fonts, then use them consistently across your website, graphics and social media.
- Don’t let AI replace your personality. AI can be a great tool, but your marketing should still look and sound like your business. Don’t use the same flyer everyone else is using with 15 icons all smashed onto one page.
Be Legitimate. Be Findable.
No matter what kind of business you own, your customers need a place to find you, learn about you and decide whether they want to take the next step. Whether you own a restaurant, retail store, service business or consulting firm, your website serves as your digital front door.
If potential customers search for your business and can’t find a credible website, they may wonder whether you’re still open, established or even legitimate. A good website doesn’t have to be complicated, but it should make it easy for someone to understand your business and connect with you.
The Art and Science of Website Development
There are endless features and functions that can be built into a website, but most small businesses don’t need all the bells and whistles. Start with a site that is attractive, easy to navigate and written for the people you actually want to reach.
Use clear language and naturally include keywords that describe your services, products and the communities you serve. Avoid “keyword stuffing,” or awkwardly repeating search terms just to rank higher. Search engines are increasingly built to recognize useful, natural content and will sniff out any spam-like writing.
SEO tools and AI can help identify what people are searching for, but your website still needs to sound like you. The best small business websites combine the science of being found with the art of building a brand people recognize and trust. And yes, even in the age of AI, it’s still best to write like a human.
(An informative article from the Chamber’s Small Business Council member Rachel Ledet, Co-owner of Lynnwood Place Residential Assisted Living and CEO of 30|90 Marketing.)