Crystal clear: Three essential messages for your small business website

Guest article written by Megan Totka, Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com.

Small business owners wear a lot of hats, especially in a day and age where the lines between business roles quickly become blurred. The modern entrepreneur is expected to be smart and savvy when it comes to both running and marketing a business.

Yet when roles come to mind for today’s busy business owners, a “messenger” probably isn’t high up on our lists.

Think about it, though. SMBs are constantly sending and receiving messages. Whether through emails, handshakes or our latest tweet, today’s business owners are tasked with shuffling a lot of information. Likewise, it’s important to make sure none our messages get mixed up or lost in the shuffle. Considering how often we communicate in the modern digital landscape, it’s much easier said than done.

The importance of getting your business’ message across can’t be stressed enough, especially on your company’s website. How do you know if you’re pushing all the right buttons when it comes to your visitors? There are three keys to getting your message across when it comes to your small business’ site, whether through design, content or social media. So, what are our visitors looking for when they land on the page?

Who We Are
Building a unique identity can be an incredibly daunting task, yet it remains the most crucial to your business’ success. Despite the fact that more than 500,000 small businesses start up per month in the United States, we must first focus on our own.

Answering “who” when it comes your business is perhaps best achieved through elements of design. Your business logo and your site color scheme, for example, go a long way when it comes to catching a visitor’s eye and keeping them on the page. Obviously, your site is also the prime place to create content surrounding your business and industry.

Your site should also include a sincere, personable blurb about who you are within your business (prime for an “About Me” section of your site). No fluff, no nonsense. Remember that sincerity is key when it comes to connecting with customers and helping them understand what you’re all about.

What We Sell
There’s nothing more frustrating than a site that’s unclear. Why create a headache for visitors that are willing to spend their money on your product? Unfortunately, business simply can’t happen if your site’s a mess. What can you do prevent such a headache?

• Keep your products out in the open – Design your site and craft its language to point users to buy. While you shouldn’t spam your visitors, there’s no reason to keep your products a secret. For example, it’s glaringly obvious from their landing page that Best Buy sells electronics. You don’t have to be subtle when it comes to selling.
• Include unique product pictures and descriptions – These will pique the interest of your visitors, help them understand what they’re looking at and provide you an SEO goldmine.
• Keep it simple – It’s never a good idea to drown users in a sea of useless information. While it’s important to keep users on the page, it’s perhaps more important to make transactions as smooth and simple as possible.

Why We Matter
Plain and simple, your small business needs to stand out against its competition. Providing visitors a reason to buy from you. Being independent is perhaps a small business’ greatest asset, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t flaunt why your business matters. Likewise, you should take every step you can to engage your visitors.

For this reason, you should always include a personal touch when it comes to your business website. Include personal anecdotes and success stories, pictures of your business or team, and whatever else lets visitors know that you’re real. Simply going the extra mile to show that you’re human can really go a long way in the eyes of your customers.

The Bottom Line
The success of your small business website comes down to sending the right messages. Every new visitor or returning customer should always be able to tell who you are, what you sell and why you matter as soon as they land on the page. By sticking to the above tips, you can ensure that your business’ messages aren’t getting lost in translation.

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Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.