Nearly 46% of all small businesses don’t have a website (Entrepreneur).
We’ll assume for the moment that you aren’t one of those businesses.
But just because you have a website doesn’t mean that you’re getting the most leverage out of it.
If you’re missing vital information, you could be confusing customers and prospects. You might be missing out on a lot of opportunities because your website is missing key elements.
If you don’t know where to start, here are five important pieces of content your local business website should have on it.
Your Address
Do your customers know how to find you?
One of the simplest ways to ensure discoverability is by including your address on your website, preferably on every page.
If you have a separate street address and mailing address, it’s also a good idea to include both.
If you’d like to take this a step further, you should also consider adding a map to your site. This will make it even easier for your prospects to figure out where you’re located.
When it comes to adding a map, there are several different solutions you can explore. One would be to hire a professional designer to create a custom map that fits the design and esthetic of your website.
Another would be to integrate Google Maps on your site manually, or by using a platform-specific plugin.
Your Contact Information
27% of small businesses don’t even have a phone number on their website (WaspBarcode.com).
If you fall under that category, you could be leaving a lot of opportunity on the table. Along with your address, your phone number should be on every page of your website, preferably near the top where it can be easily found.
Also include other relevant contact information on your site, whether it’s an email address or social media profiles. Make sure your email address is customized to match your domain. For the sake of professionalism, it shouldn’t be a Gmail or Hotmail account.
Depending on your business, you may also consider adding a contact form (for requesting quotes and things like that), though you don’t necessarily need to have one on every page.
Your Hours
It seems obvious enough, but it’s easy to overlook. If you want to avoid frustrating customers or potential customers, your hours of operation should be clearly indicated on your website.
At minimum, you should post your hours in the footer, but it’s not a bad idea to include the same information in your header as well.
If there are any changes to your schedule, don’t forget to update it, and if you have modified hours during certain seasons and holidays, make sure to keep your hours up-to-date.
High Quality Photography
High quality photography conveys professionalism. It also makes it easy for people to find your physical store.
Your website should include a photo of your storefront, so people know exactly what to look out for as they are walking or driving by your location.
In-store photos can also be great tools for showing off your great decor and product selection. It can build a lot of trust and credibility with your website visitors too.
Customer Testimonials
Any company can toot their own horn, but there’s nothing more powerful than third-party credibility.
Customer testimonials reassure people that you’re running a trustworthy business, and that you can provide your customers with the right solutions.
Customer testimonials can certainly be included on your homepage, but as more and more people offer you praise, you may not be able to contain it all. You may want to build out a dedicated page for customer testimonials when the time is right.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve implemented these five pieces of content, you should have the basics figured out.
But this still doesn’t mean that all of your bases are covered. The competition is fierce, and more than ever before, there’s a need to stand out from your competition.
If your website is in need of a serious makeover, why not get in touch with us? We’ll evaluate your website and help you to get set up with what you need.
