- Introduce yourself. While you might find the story boring, tell readers who you are and why you are in the business. Mention your experience and what makes you unique. Keep it short and sweet, but make it as interesting as you can.
- Introduce your business. Make sure the services and products you offered are clearly spelled out. Give clear and detailed information that allows the reader to get a good feel for your company’s expertise.
- Introduce your friends. Put up testimonials from past clients, news clips about your business, and any awards or recognition you have received. Even if you don’t have testimonials, include a list of your past customers on the site.
- Get a FAQ. A frequently asked questions page is the source of most of the information that your readers are looking for. It should detail the process of doing business with your company, such as how orders are placed, what standard delivery time is, and what your return policy is.
- Keep it clear. The site should be easy to navigate, including clear headers, sidebars, and a search function.
- Provide contact info. Even if you work from home, including a phone number and a physical address adds credibility to your business.
- Install a Secure Socket Layer. SSL is a system that encrypts data exchanged between customers and the Web site. It is especially important for sites that take online credit card orders.
- Ask for feedback. Invite comments on blog posts. Create a feedback form landing page. Ask people to fill out a short feedback survey after completing an online order. Use this information to shape your business, and bulk up your testimonial’s page.
- Install some flashy plug-ins. I’m not talking about the kind that annoy me to no end. You want to use buttons to prompt readers to act; encourage them to “Sign up” or “Place an order.”
- Make it personal. Small businesses have the upper hand on bigger businesses when it comes to connecting with customers. Do everything you can to make the readers on your site feel special; by the time they have finished browsing through your site, they should be convinced that your business will be able to meet their every need.
Consider the expert advice of Alice Bredin, of Bredin Business Information: “Small businesses can have more fun with their sites, more so than large corporations. A small-business site needs to include something that reflects the creativity and personality of its owner." So don’t be afraid to show your true colors when designing your Web site – just make sure you include the above information in the process.