If you’re a local business in El Paso, TX, then it’s essential that you have a website to help promote your products and services. Not only is a website a great way to connect with customers locally, but it can also be an effective tool for marketing your business online. In order to make the most of your website, there are some key website design ingredients that you’ll need to include. In this blog post, we will discuss the 9 must-haves for any successful local business website.
How to get the most leads out of your website
If you’re like most businesses, you want your website to generate leads. After all, leads are the lifeblood of any business. Without them, you wouldn’t have customers and without customers, you wouldn’t have a business. So how can you make sure that your website is designed to generate the most leads possible? Here are 9 must-haves for any successful local business website:
1. A Catchy Domain Name
Your domain name is your website’s address on the internet. It’s what people will type into their web browser to find your site. So it’s important that you choose a domain name that is easy to remember and easy to spell. You also want to make sure that it’s relevant to your business. For example, if you’re a local florist, you might want to include the word “flower” in your domain name.
If you need a domain, there are a number of places where you can buy a domain name. We recommend using a reputable registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains.
2. A Professional Website Design
Your website’s design should reflect the professionalism of your business. First impressions are everything, so you want to make sure that your website looks clean, polished, and well-designed. Visitors should be able to easily navigate your site and find the information they’re looking for. If your website is difficult to use or doesn’t look appealing, potential customers will likely click away and find a different business to patronize.
Elements of a professional website design:
- A clean, well-organized layout
- Colors that complement your brand (limit it to two or three main colors max)
- High-quality images
- Professional typography (matches your brand identity)
- Easy-to-navigate menus
- A responsive design that looks good on all devices (including mobile)
3. Clear and Solution Focused Call To Action(s)
Your website’s call to action is what tells visitors what you want them to do next. It could be something as simple as “Sign up for our newsletter” or “Request a free quote.” Whatever it is, make sure that it’s clear and easy to understand. Visitors should know exactly what action you want them to take next.
There are certain words that tend to work better than others when it comes to calls to action. Some examples include:
- “Call us today!”
- “Get your free e-book now!”
- “Get started today”
- “Subscribe and get 10% off!”
- “Book your appointment today!”
- “Order now”
4. Optimized for Search Engines
If you want your website to be found by potential customers, then it needs to be optimized for search engines. Knowing the basics of local SEO will help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), helping you to reach more potential customers. While there are many factors that go into SEO, some of the basics include using relevant keywords in your web content, proper title tags, and backlinking.
Tools to help you optimize your website for SEO:
- Google’s Keyword Planner – This free tool from Google can help you research relevant keywords for your business.
- Yoast SEO Plugin – This plugin is a must-have for any WordPress site. It helps you to optimize your web content for search engines.
- Ubersuggest – This free tool provides keyword suggestions and other data to help you optimize your website and find keyword opportunities.
5. A Mobile-First, Friendly Website Design
More and more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet. It’s important that your website is designed to be mobile-friendly. Your website should be easy to read and navigate on a small screen and should load quickly on a mobile connection.
Tools to test your website’s mobile performance:
- PageSpeed Insights – This free tool from Google analyzes how your website is perceived by mobile users and provides insights on how to improve your website’s performance.
- GTMetrix – This free tool tests your website’s loading speed and provides recommendations for improvement.
6. Leveraging Business Personality Through Photos and Videos
People like doing business with people they know, like, and trust. So it’s important to give visitors a sense of who you are and what your business is all about. You can do this by including photos and videos of you, your team, and your clients on your website. This will help humanize your business by giving it a face and making it more relatable to potential customers.
If your budget allows, investing in professional photography will help give your website a more professional look. If you don’t have any professional photos or videos, there are some things you can do to improve the quality of what you have. For photos, you can use a free online photo editor like Canva to add text overlays, crop and resize images, and more. For videos, you can use free video editing software like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker to add titles, transitions, and other effects.
7. Trustworthy Testimonials
Including testimonials on your website can be a great way to build trust with potential customers. When people see that others have had positive experiences with your business, they’re more likely to do business with you as well. Just make sure that the testimonials are from real people and not made up. You can use plugins to automatically fetch the latest reviews from multiple sources like your Google and Yelp profiles.
8. A Blog – Fresh, Relevant Content
Adding a blog to your website is a great way to attract new visitors and generate leads. Keep your website fresh by regularly adding new content that is relevant to your audience. You can use your blog to share helpful articles, industry news, or even just some fun facts about your business. New content not only keeps things interesting for your visitors, but it also helps to improve your website’s ranking in search engines. Be sure to include calls to action in each blog post to encourage visitors to take the next step.
9. Easy to find contact information
You wouldn’t want to lose a potential customer simply because they couldn’t find your contact information. Make it easy for potential customers to get in touch with you. Include your contact information prominently on your website and in the header and footer of every page. You might even want to include a contact form so that people can easily send you an email.
Common contact points to include:
- Email address
- Phone number
- Physical address
- Social media links
Ending Thoughts
Creating a successful website for your local business is essential for generating leads and customers online. By following the tips in this article, you can make sure that your website is designed to achieve these goals.
Remember, your website should have:
- A catchy domain name
- A professional web design
- Clear and solution-focused call to action(s)
- Optimized for search engines
- Mobile friendly
- Leveraging business personality through photos and videos
- Trustworthy testimonials
- Fresh content
- Easy to find contact information
Your Website Design Partner in El Paso, TX
These are just some of the things that you need to include on your website if you want it to be successful. If you’re not sure where to start, then consider working with a web design and development company that specializes in creating websites for businesses in your industry. They will be able to help you create a website that is both effective and stylish. If you would like our help developing a successful website for your business, then please contact us today. We would be more than happy to assist you.
