TIPS FOR CREATING AN SMB WEBSITE (THAT ACTUALLY CONVERTS)

Do you have a small or medium sized business website that doesn’t get any traffic, lacks key info and testimonials, has poor SEO and limited contact options so customers can’t get in touch with you? You’re not alone. Many SMB owners struggle to create an online presence that reflects their brand and drives results. 

But the good news is, by implementing effective strategies and essential features, you can significantly enhance your website's performance. . In this post, we’ll show you the hidden features and expert tips to take your online presence to the next level and grow your business.

Branding

To stand out in a crowded online market, you need a visual identity that reflects your brand’s values, personality and mission. A unique visual identity helps you build trust, credibility, and differentiate yourself from the competition. 

Design elements such as color palettes, typography, and overall aesthetics contribute to a strong brand identity, ensuring that all components work together to tell a unified story about your business.



Custom Website Themes: Tailoring your website’s design to your brand’s sophistication

Tailoring your website’s design to your brand’s sophistication is key. A generic, off-the-shelf template may not reflect your business. By investing in a custom design, you can ensure every element, from typography to color scheme, resonates with your target market. 

A custom website theme also allows you to tailor your design to your specific industry or niche. For example, a funeral home business might use elegant fonts, soft colors, and nature imagery to create a sense of comfort and ease. By doing so, you create an immersive experience that draws the visitor in and encourages them to explore your services further.

Branding Consistency: Ensuring a consistent visual identity across all platforms

Any inconsistencies in your visual identity will dilute your brand message and confuse your audience. To avoid this, ensure your website, social media profiles, and marketing materials have a consistent visual language. This means using the same logos, color schemes, typography, voice/tone, and imagery across all platforms.

Consistency is key. It builds recognition, trust, and loyalty with your target market. By having a consistent visual identity, you can create a strong, recognizable brand that resonates with your audience and differentiates you from the competition.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

After you have a beautiful website it’s time to make sure it’s visible to your target audience. Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) play a crucial role in SEO, as optimizing content like meta descriptions and title tags can significantly improve your website's visibility and ranking. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in.



SEO Optimization: Get more visibility with effective SEO

By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can improve your website’s ranking on search engines and drive more traffic and potential customers to your site. A well-optimized website can increase organic traffic so it’s a must have for any online presence.

Did you know that the majority of users never scroll past the first page of search engine results? This means if your website isn’t optimized for search engines you’re missing out on a lot of traffic. By implementing SEO best practices such as meta tags, header tags, and content optimization, you can increase your website’s visibility and drive more traffic to your site.

Keyword Research and Implementation

One of the most important parts of SEO optimization is keyword research and implementation. By identifying relevant keywords and phrases, you can optimize your content to rank higher on search engines, increase your website’s visibility, and drive more targeted traffic to your site.

By knowing your target audience’s search habits and preferences, you can create content that speaks to them and drive more conversions and sales. Also, by using long-tail keywords, you can target specific demographics and increase your website’s relevance, further improving your search engine ranking.

Engine your way to the top of search engine results by implementing a solid keyword strategy. By using relevant keywords and phrases in your content, meta tags, and header tags, you can increase your website’s visibility, drive more targeted traffic, and ultimately boost your conversion rate.

Credibility

Again, credibility is key to building trust with your target audience and differentiating yourself from the competition. In this digital age, having your own website is crucial for establishing a personalized online presence. Credibility is not just about having a professional website but also about showing your expertise, highlighting customer testimonials, and demonstrating your quality.

Client Testimonials and Reviews: Credibility through social proof

Ratings and reviews from happy customers can make or break your online reputation. By showcasing client testimonials and reviews on your website, you can build credibility and increase the chances of converting visitors into customers. 

Here are some key tips for leveraging reviews:

• Display Testimonials Prominently: Make sure to display them on your homepage, product pages, or a dedicated testimonials page.
• Use Schema Markup: Enhance your reviews in search engine results to make them more visible to potential customers.
• Encourage Reviews on Third-Party Platforms: Ask happy customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or Facebook.
• Respond to Reviews: Show that you value your customers' feedback by responding to both positive and negative reviews. This demonstrates that you care about their experience.

By following these practices, you can improve your online reputation and increase your visibility in search engine results.

Showcasing Expertise: Highlighting your business’s unique strengths and qualifications

Social media is not just for sharing cat videos or personal updates; it’s also for demonstrating your expertise and thought leadership in your industry. By sharing informative content, participating in relevant discussions, and engaging with your audience, you can position yourself as an authority in your field. This will drive traffic to your website, increase engagement, and generate leads. 

Having a strong online presence means showcasing your business’s unique strengths and qualifications. This can be done by highlighting your team’s expertise, certifications, and awards on your website. You can also create informative content such as blog posts, videos, or infographics that provide value to your target audience and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. By doing so, you can build trust with your audience and differentiate your business from the competition.

Conversion

You’ve finally got visitors coming to your website but now it’s time to convert them into clients. This is where conversion comes in – the process of persuading your visitors to take a specific action that benefits your business. 

An effective online store can significantly enhance conversions by providing a user-friendly interface, a wide product range, and customization options that make the shopping experience more interactive and appealing.

For a service-based business, such as a law firm, conversions might involve encouraging visitors to schedule a consultation or providing easy access to a booking form.

Effective Call-to-Action (CTA): Converting visitors into clients with compelling CTAs

A CTA is a prompt that encourages visitors to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or contacting your business. To create an effective CTA, make sure it’s clear, concise, and prominent on your website. Use action-oriented language like “Get Started” or “Contact Us” and make sure it stands out from the rest of your content. Use A/B testing to test different CTAs and see which one performs best.

Placing CTAs for maximum impact

Effective placement of CTAs is key to maximizing conversions. You want to place your CTAs where they will be seen and clicked. This includes the header and footer of your website, as well as above the fold on your homepage. You can also improve conversions by placing CTAs near relevant content. For example, if you’re offering a free consultation, place the CTA near the section of your website that describes the benefits of your consultation services.

Keeping Your Website Fresh

All websites require regular maintenance to stay relevant and engaging to their audience. A stale website will see a decline in visitor engagement, search engine rankings, and ultimately, conversions. 

Updates: Keeping your website fresh and engaging with new content

Keeping your website fresh and updated is key to having a strong online presence. Regularly posting new content such as blog posts, articles, or news shows search engines that your website is active and worthy of being crawled more frequently. This, in turn, will improve your search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic to your site. 

Fresh content gives your visitors a reason to come back, increasing engagement and the chance of conversion. Consistency is key, so aim to update your website at least once a week, but ideally 3-4 times a week. This will keep your audience engaged and signal to search engines that your website is a valuable resource. 

Remember, the goal is to provide value to your visitors, so make sure your content is informative, entertaining, or inspiring.

Content Management Systems (CMS): Making website updates and maintenance easy

Website management can be a big task, especially for SMB owners who wear many hats. This is where Content Management Systems (CMS) come in – to make website updates and maintenance easy. A CMS allows you to create, edit, and manage your website’s content without needing to know how to code. 

A good CMS will save you time and effort so you can focus on what matters most – growing your business. With a user-friendly interface, you can update your website’s content, add new pages, and modify existing ones without needing a developer. 

Plus, many CMS platforms offer a wide range of customizable templates, plugins, and extensions so you can tailor your website to your specific needs. This is especially important for SMB, as it allows you to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs.

Security and Reliability

Not having a secure and reliable online presence can be devastating for business websites. In today’s digital age, cyber threats are getting more and more sophisticated, and website downtime can mean lost sales, damaged reputation, and decreased customer trust.

Web Hosting and Security: Protecting your site from downtime and cyber threats

From hackers to server crashes, there are many threats that can bring your website down. That’s why it’s important to choose a reliable web hosting provider that offers robust security features such as automatic backups, malware scanning, and DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection. 

Look for providers that offer a 99.99% uptime guarantee so your website is always available to your customers. Also, make sure to keep your website’s software and plugins up to date, as outdated versions can leave you vulnerable to attacks. 

By investing in a secure web hosting solution, you can reduce the risk of data breaches and protect your customer’s sensitive information. This will not only safeguard your business’s reputation but also build trust with your customers, leading to increased loyalty and retention.

Website Security and Maintenance Best Practices

Downtime is a nightmare for any business and can mean lost sales and damaged reputation. To avoid this you need to do regular website maintenance, including weekly backups, software updates, and security scans. This will ensure your website is running smoothly and securely, and minimize downtime and cyber threats. 

Maintenance is key to preventing website crashes and ensuring your online presence is secure and reliable. By staying on top of maintenance tasks, you can identify and fix issues before they become big problems, saving you time, money, and stress in the long run. 



Don’t forget, a secure and reliable online presence is critical to building trust with your customers and growing your business. By following these best practices, you can ensure your website is always available, secure, and performing at its best.

User Experience

Despite having a beautifully designed website, many small or medium sized businesses struggle to attract and retain visitors. Effective website design is crucial for user experience, as it can mean the difference between high bounce rates, low engagement, and ultimately lost potential customers.

User Experience (UX) Design: Optimizing your site’s navigation and usability

Optimizing your website’s navigation and usability is key to a seamless user experience. A well-designed UX means visitors can find what they’re looking for, navigate your site easily, and complete their desired actions without frustration. 

To achieve this:

• Conduct user testing and gather feedback to identify areas to improve. 
• Simplify your navigation menu and reduce clutter.
• Ensure your content is organized in a logical and intuitive way.

Also, make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as more and more users are accessing websites through their mobile devices. A responsive design will adapt to different screen sizes and provide an optimal user experience regardless of the device used.



Intuitive and Engaging User Interface

User-centric design is key to an engaging user interface. Your website’s UI should be visually appealing, easy to use, and communicate your brand’s message. 

To do this:

• Use high-quality images and graphics that resonate with your target audience.
• Choose a color scheme that reflects your brand’s personality.
• Ensure UI consistency throughout your website with clear and concise language.
• Utilize whitespace to guide the user’s attention to important elements.

To take your UI to the next level: 

• Consider adding interactive elements such as animations, videos, or gamification to create a more immersive experience. 

By doing so, you’ll be able to capture your visitor’s attention, increase engagement, and ultimately drive more conversions.

Measuring Success

For any small business, measuring success is key to understanding its online presence. Without tracking and analyzing performance, you can’t identify areas to improve, optimize strategies, and grow. Reviewing small business website examples can provide valuable benchmarks and inspiration for enhancing your digital strategies.

Analytics and Tracking: Monitoring your site’s performance and progress

One of the most important parts of measuring success is tracking your website’s performance using analytics tools. Tools like Google Analytics will give you valuable insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. By monitoring these metrics, you can identify trends, patterns, and areas to improve. For example, if you see a high bounce rate on a particular page, you can optimize the content, design, and user experience to reduce bounce rates and increase engagement.

Additionally, tracking metrics like page load time, bounce rate, and average session duration can help you identify technical issues, improve user experience, and enhance overall performance. By regularly reviewing your analytics reports, you can refine your online strategy, make data-driven decisions, and grow your business.

Setting Goals and KPIs for Online Success

Analytics tools provide a lot of data, but without clear goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), it’s hard to measure success. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals helps you focus on what matters most to your business. For example, your goal might be to increase website traffic by 20% in the next 6 months.



Online success is not just about traffic; it’s about converting visitors into leads, customers, and ultimately loyal advocates. By setting KPIs like conversion rates, lead generation, and customer acquisition costs, you can measure your online strategy and make adjustments to optimize results. 

Remember, setting goals and KPIs is an ongoing process that requires regular review and refinement to ensure you’re on track to your online goals.

Online success is not just about traffic; it’s about converting visitors into leads, customers and ultimately loyal advocates. By setting KPIs like conversion rates, lead generation and customer acquisition costs you can measure your online strategy and make adjustments to optimize results.

Beating the Competition

Many small businesses struggle to have a strong online presence and don’t consider beating the competition. But with the right strategies and mindset, you can keep your business competitive and thriving in the digital world. 

Digital marketing and technology trends are constantly changing, so it’s important to stay up to date to remain competitive. Failing to adapt to changing trends will leave your business behind. Stay current with the latest industry developments, best practices, and emerging technologies to stay ahead of the curve. 

Ways to stay current and improve your online presence include:

• Attending webinars, conferences, and workshops.
• Following industry leaders and blogs. 
• Leveraging new social media platforms.
• Using AI-powered chatbots.
• Optimizing for voice search.

By staying current, you can identify opportunities to improve your online presence and keep your business at the forefront of digital trends.

Ongoing Improvement and Refining your online presence

To keep your online presence effective, you need to continuously monitor and refine it. This means regularly reviewing your website’s performance, analyzing user behavior, and making data-driven decisions to improve the user experience. Continuously collecting and acting on feedback is key to conversions and growth.

Continuous refinement of your online presence means identifying areas to improve, such as optimizing your website’s load time, improving mobile responsiveness, or streamlining your checkout process.

By making small changes, you can make big improvements to the user experience, engagement, and sales. By staying current and refining your online presence, you can keep your small business competitive and thriving in the digital world. Remember, a strong online presence is key to business growth, and by following these tips, you’ll be ahead of the competition.



At AGENCY NEXT, we offer easy, customized solutions to fit your small and medium sized business digital marketing needs. Ready to take your SMB to the NEXT level? Contact us today!