Having a good website is a must these days.

A recent study by Lightspeed GMI found that more than 93 percent of consumers now conduct online research before making a purchasing decision.

So having a good-looking website and online storefront is no longer optional for a small business owner. You need an up-to-date website or you will lose customers and potential sales.
But is your website is up to speed?

Ask yourself these five questions and it should give you a good idea of whether or not your site could do with a makeover.

1. Does your site have a template or theme that is compatible with mobile viewing?
Most modern website themes are responsive, meaning they automatically adjust to fit whatever screen they’re being viewed on. Comscore.com reports that mobile shopping now accounts for over 60 percent of the time consumers spend online, meaning that a website that responds well to mobile devices is no longer optional.

The easiest way to assess this is simply to check out how the site looks on your phone. If text looks squeezed together, objects are in the wrong place, or the site is generally hard to use, it might be time to make some changes. Email us, and we’ll make that update for you!

2. Have you done any site reorganization or maintenance in the last year or two?
Website design and style is constantly changing. Have you updated your site’s organization in the past couple years? If the answer is no, it probably needs work. Here are a few things to keep in mind when reorganizing and revamping your site.

• Your homepage needs to clearly communicate what your business does.Don’t be coy. Make it clear to customers what your business is about, and don’t make them jump through a bunch of hoops to get there.
• You want as few clicks as possible between your customers and your product and service pages. Your website needs to help you make sales or get business. Have a link to your online store or service offerings right on your homepage.
• Don’t overwhelm your visitors with information. You want to communicate what you do effectively in as few words as possible. Multiple long paragraphs on every page, especially on your homepage, will surely scare visitors away.

3. Do you have any old or out-of-date business information on your site?
The last thing you want is potential customers getting the wrong idea about who you are, what you do, or how much it costs to buy your product or service. As I look at small business websites, I am amazed by how often the little details do not add up form page to page.

If your pricing is $20 for your basic package on one page, that price should be consistent wherever you mention it. Have you opened new branches without adding them on your site? If so, you are probably missing out on potential business.

Take several hours to click through your site and see how up-to-date your information is. If it needs quite a bit of work, it is probably a sign that your site as a whole could use some general upgrades.

4. Are your colors, graphics, or animations cliché or gaudy?
American flags waving in the wind and bright neon colors may get your site attention, but not the kind of attention that you want. You are much more likely to be featured on some bad website design list then you are to gain positive press for your business. Animations and gaudy colors should go, immediately. Here are three more things to keep in mind:

• Keep colors consistent with your logo. If you are wondering what color your site should be, look at your logo. Keep the site’s colors matched or at least color-coordinated with your logo.
• Skip the animations and go with quality video. If you really want some visual interest on your homepage, go with a high-quality video instead of animations.
• Don’t be afraid of open space. Having space between elements on your pages is not a bad thing — and besides, it’s in style. Beyond that, having space helps promote site clarity, organization, and readability.

5. Are there any text, image, or form issues?
The last thing to check out is how your formatting, text, and images look on your site. Everything should look like it is has a place — and is in that place. Here are some things to watch out for:

• Floating text. If you have text that just looks like it is floating randomly on your page, that’s not good. Fix it.
• Big blocks of text. If you have four or more unbroken paragraphs of text in a row, it’s time to make some changes. Break it up with some images or pare down what you need to say to the most essential elements.
• Blurry images. Blurry images are a no-no. They communicate amateurism.
• Images that don’t make sense. If you are an equipment loan company, it probably does not make sense to have a kid playing with a cat on your homepage. Just keep your images consistent with your brand and industry and try to make them as personal as possible.
• Forms that don’t work. Go through all your forms. Do your email capture, contact forms, and surveys actually work? If not, fix them immediately.

If you have any of the issues mentioned above, you need to do some website work. If you have two or more, then you should consider a complete redesign or reworking of your site.

If all of the above sounds overwhelmingly intimidating to you, don’t worry, contact KrissArt Marketing Design, we will help.

Author: Marc Prosser, Contributing Writer
Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2016/01/does-your-website-need-a-makeover.html

Do you need help with your website? Contact KrissArt Marketing Design for a free consultation!

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If your small business doesn’t have a website, you’re inevitably missing out on potential clients and potential cash.

Already got a site? Good. Now, let’s talk strategy. Because the quality of that site could also be impacting your bottom line.

“Anybody can buy a Web platform and build a down-and-dirty site,” said Buffy McCoy Kelly, partner and creative director of Charlotte, N.C., ad agency Tattoo Projects. “But an (unpolished site) definitely colors the way you look to the world. It colors your value to the consumer. And it can definitely hurt you.”

McCoy Kelly and other experts in marketing, advertising and Web design were polled to compile a list of mistakes small-business owners often make when developing and maintaining their websites.

Here are their tips, and a handy list of what not to do:

Visual mistakes

• Burying contact information: The whole point of the website is to be a point of entry for a customer. So don’t hide your phone number and email address at the bottom of one tab. And make that email address a hyperlink.
• Failing to embrace “white space”: In a layout, it can be as effective as type. If there’s too much vying for a user’s attention on a site, they won’t know where to go for the answer they needed. So simplify the visuals and focus on one or two key images and short paragraphs.
• Dead links: It’s a good idea to log on to your website from a different computer every once in a while and make sure that there aren’t any links that lead to sites that don’t exist anymore.
• Logos that spin or flash: All experts agree: Lose it now.

Content mistakes

• Too many words: In the “About Us” section, you should be able to give a crystal-clear picture of your business in one short paragraph, about four sentences. It’s OK if you need more space to describe complex, industry-specific products or services, but do it strategically in other areas of the site.
• Typos and grammatical errors: This is an easy way to alienate an audience. Have knowledgeable eyes scan your site to check for these potentially costly mistakes. It’s a service worth paying for.
• Failing to focus on search engine optimization: You could have a beautiful site, but without industry buzz words, you won’t land high on a Google search, McCoy Kelly said. Make a list of the top 25 keywords or phrases that define your business and industry, then build a plan for how to best use those keywords consistently.
• Stale content: Some businesses put up a site and never change it, leading to the question: Is the business still around? One way to show fresh content is to maintain a company blog that’s connected to your website. Another is to connect a feed of your social media updates to your site.
• Outdated calendars: Similarly, if you’re going to post a calendar, update it. If not, nix it.

Big-picture mistakes

• A site that doesn’t mirror your company culture: Don’t be afraid to be a little creative if that’s the culture of your business, but if you’re an attorney or run an accounting firm, projecting a playful vibe isn’t your best tactic.
• Failing to mobile-optimize: If you’re not going to develop a mobile app, invest in a site that works the same on mobile devices. Users hate it when tabs disappear, or when they’re forced to scroll left and right.
• Failing to incorporate social media: If you’re active on social media (and you should be), make sure your social media icons are visible and clickable.
• Being stingy: Buying a domain often costs just $12 to $15, but developing a top-notch website can cost thousands of dollars. But consider Web work the same as you consider advertising, experts say. It’s an advertisement of its own. And a well-built website can also be a money-maker

Do you own a small business and need a website? Do you have a website but need updating it? Contact KrissArt Marketing Design for a free consultation.

Posted in Small-business, Metro-business on Sunday, April 13, 2014 • www.timesdispatch.com