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Starting up? Here’s what your website really needs to succeed

If you are in the early stages of starting your business, chances are you will have considered many different ways to market your business, and a website would have been one of them. With 71% of new businesses now choosing to have a website, people are understanding the value they can give. I know I am a little biased, but I believe a great website can be one of your most powerful marketing tools, so if you have made the great decision that a website is absolutely needed to kick start your business, then here are some tips on what your website really needs to succeed.

1. Keep it simple, but professional

    We are seeing a rise in simplistic designed websites, and that is because a clean, clear design helps to build trust with your audience. It portrays an air of professionalism as your website and brand feels credible. It also makes your website easier to navigate, which not only makes your users feel confident, but will also help with converting them into paying customers. A simple, clean website will also mean the speed and functionality of your website is better than a busier and cluttered design. Sites that are faster and have less lag time often retain more clients and it goes back to improving the user experience, and building trust.

    Related blog post that you might find useful: https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/website-design-trends-to-watch-in-2025/ 

    2. Tell your story

      Sharing your story on your website will help build trust because you are sharing your experiences, your challenges, and your values with your audience, and therefore they are getting to know the person behind the website. It will make you stand out and will humanise you, your business and your brand. There are most likely thousands of businesses that offer the products or services that you do, so why should someone choose to buy from you over a competitor? Your story will make you stand out and help your ideal customer in the decision-making process. It will also help create that connection and build a community that creates loyal repeat customers, after all it’s always easier to sell to someone who has purchased from you before than to find new customers.

      Related blog post that you might find useful: https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/unique-ways-to-add-a-burst-of-personality-to-your-website/ 

      3. What to include

        There are several things as a minimum that I would recommend you include on your website and these are; 

        • Your Logo – perhaps include it in the header of your page, it will help support that strong brand.
        • About Page – as discussed above sharing your story is a really powerful and impactful way to connect with your customer and build the trust element; 
        • Services – someone cannot buy from you if they don’t know what services you offer, so make these really clear on their own page.
        • Contact – having a contact page makes the process of buying as simple as possible, so make this clear and easy to navigate.
        • Call To Action – you need to guide people on where you want them to go and what action you want them to take, if you want them to book a call in your diary include multiple buttons spread throughout the pages of your site, or if you want them to buy a product or service, again have these buttons with engaging descriptions easily available throughout your site.
        • Blog or Updates Page – having a blog or updates page will not only boost your SEO, but it will position you as an expert or authority figure within your industry, again building that trust element and making people more likely to buy from you. 

        Related blog post that you might find useful: https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/why-your-website-needs-a-blog/ 

        4. Mobile matters

          With over 62% of website traffic coming from mobile devices it is essential that your website is fully mobile-friendly. It needs to look great on a mobile phone and tablet screen, as it would on a desktop, if your site isn’t optimised for mobiles, you will lose customers to your competitors. 

          With a mobile friendly website you can expect to see increased engagement from your customers, which will result in a higher conversion rate and more sales. It will keep you competitive, as chances are your competitors’ sites will be mobile-friendly. It will also help with making your site more accessible and inclusive, and give you better analytics and tracking of your site, which will help you improve your marketing, target your ideal client and improve the overall user experience. 

          5. Start SEO early

            SEO is search engine optimisation – essentially how high you appear on a page in a search engine, and the higher you appear, the better it is for you. There are a few simple things you can do to boost your SEO like using the Yoast SEO plugin, including ALT text and descriptions on your imagery, using tags and categories on your website, having a regular blog, having smaller/optimised images and videos to increase your website speed, making it mobile friendly, using keywords and using the Google Search Console tool. 

            If you would like to know exactly what SEO improvements could be made for your website, book in an SEO Audit with our Expert Graham here https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/contact-graham/ 

            Related blog post that you might find useful: https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/5-web-design-mistakes-that-can-sabotage-your-seo-efforts/ 

            https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/navigating-the-changing-landscape-of-seo-in-2024/

            6. Don’t forget hosting and security

              • When choosing a reliable and secure host for your website you want to ensure they can guarantee 99% uptime of your website – meaning it’s live and available to your clients 99% of the time (note: no company can guarantee 100% uptime). 
              • You will also want to ensure they provide an SSL certificate for your site, which essentially encrypts the data on your site, ensuring its security. 
              • They will need to provide regular back-ups for your site, so if anything did happen, you wouldn’t lose data. 
              • You will want them to ensure fast speed times for your site.
              • Whether they have support packages (if that suits you) 
              • And of course, look at their reviews to find out what their customers say about them and their experience. 

              FYI: At Littlebigbox we provide all of the above and more, and if you would like to find out more about our hosting services, you can here. https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/web-design-hampshire/website-hosting-domains-security/ 

              Bonus tip

                There are lots of tools available to you to give you the best WordPress site, and we would recommend using a good calendar booking tool, my favourite is TidyCal as it’s simple to use, fully customisable, you can include your branding, and it’s a one-off payment. I would recommend using contact forms, particularly on your ‘contact’ page. It helps to capture the information you need, will send it straight to your inbox and is easy for your customer to use. Also, the use of social media is a great marketing tool, but it’s important to find the right one for where your ideal client is hanging out. If you integrate your feed into your website, it can help connect and engage your audience.

                Related blog post that you might find useful: https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-launching-a-website/ 

                Users expect a great experience when visiting your site, they want it to look good, to be quick, easy to navigate and easy to buy from, and if you don’t meet these needs, they will shop elsewhere.

                If you are just starting out, or planning a startup business in the near future, and would like some guidance on getting your website right, then we offer a website template package which will give you a simple website that meets all the requirements we’ve talked about in an affordable way. You can check out our template websites here; https://www.littlebigbox.co.uk/web-design-hampshire/template-websites-startups/ 

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