Simple Website Updates Every Small Business Should Make NOW
Your website is more than just an online presence—it’s often the first impression potential customers have of your business. Alongside social media, it’s where people decide whether to learn more, reach out, or make a purchase. But if your website isn’t user-friendly or engaging, visitors will quickly lose interest and move on, often seeking out a competitor instead. Scary, right?
The good news is; by making a few simple updates, you can transform your site into a powerful tool that captivates visitors, encourages interaction, and builds a loyal customer base. Here are some straightforward, impactful updates you can make today:
1. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly
More and more people are browsing the web on their smartphones. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you could be losing valuable customers who don’t want to struggle with poor navigation or readability.
Why it matters: A website that’s difficult to navigate on a smartphone can frustrate users and drive them straight to a competitor’s site. Research shows that most people will leave a site that isn’t optimized for mobile.
What to do:
Test your website on your phone to see if it’s easy to read and navigate. Pay attention to content layout, button and link functionality, and if any elements are cut off or hard to interact with.
Ensure responsive design so that your site adapts to any screen size. This may require coding adjustments or using website-building tools with built-in responsive templates.
Optimize images and elements to ensure fast load times, which can help retain visitors, even if their internet connection isn’t strong.
2. Keep Your Content Fresh
Regularly updating content helps keep your website interesting and engaging. Whether it’s posting a blog, sharing company news, or showcasing new products, fresh content invites repeat visitors.
Why it matters: Search engines like Google favor sites that are updated regularly, seeing them as active and relevant. This can boost your search rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find your site. Plus, fresh content encourages visitors to return, building trust and positioning your business as an industry leader.
What to do:
Add a blog to share industry insights, tips, company updates, or community involvement.
Update product/service pages to reflect new offerings or promotions, keeping customers informed and excited.
Create a “News” section for upcoming events, recent awards, or new partnerships to keep your audience engaged.
3. Speed Up Your Site
A slow website can frustrate visitors and drive them away. In today’s fast-paced world, no one wants to wait for a page to load.
Why it matters: Faster sites provide a better user experience, which can lead to increased time spent on your site and lower bounce rates. A quick-loading site is more likely to keep visitors engaged, encouraging them to explore your offerings and make a purchase.
What to do:
Reduce image file sizes using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to improve load times without sacrificing quality.
Enable browser caching so elements like images and scripts are stored in a visitor’s browser, preventing them from reloading on each visit.
Remove or archive old files that are no longer needed and may be slowing down your site.
4. Simplify Your Navigation
Visitors should be able to find what they need quickly and easily. If your website navigation is overly complex or cluttered, users will likely become frustrated and leave.
Why it matters: Clear, straightforward navigation helps visitors find what they’re looking for without confusion, encouraging them to stay longer and explore more of what you offer. A well-organized menu can also guide potential customers to take action, such as reaching out, purchasing, or signing up for a newsletter.
What to do:
Keep menu labels short and descriptive so visitors can understand where they’ll be taken. For example, use “About Us” instead of “Company Information” and “Services” instead of “What We Offer.”
Place important pages (like “Contact,” “Products/Services,” and “About Us”) at the top of your menu for easy access.
Include a search bar if your site has a lot of content, so visitors can find what they’re looking for without navigating multiple pages.
Avoid clutter in your navigation. Too many options can overwhelm visitors and make it difficult to find what they need. Keep it clean and user-friendly by sticking to the most essential pages.
5. Add Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
A “Call to Action” (CTA) is a simple but powerful element that tells visitors what to do next—whether it's “Contact Us,” “Book Now,” or “Get a Quote.”
Why it matters: CTAs guide visitors to take meaningful actions that can lead to more leads, higher conversions, and increased sales. Without clear CTAs, visitors may leave your site without knowing what to do next, resulting in missed opportunities for your business.
What to do:
Add CTA buttons at the end of your pages, in the sidebar, or within the content to catch readers’ attention at the right time. For longer pages, consider multiple CTAs for maximum impact.
Use contrasting colors for your buttons that draw attention while fitting in with your site’s design. Make sure they’re noticeable and easy to find.
Limit CTAs to one primary action per page to avoid overwhelming or confusing visitors.
6. Showcase Customer Reviews
Displaying positive customer reviews and testimonials can be a powerful way to build trust and credibility.
Why it matters: Social proof is crucial for fostering trust. Potential customers are more likely to reach out or make a purchase when they see that others have had positive experiences with your business.
What to do:
Feature standout reviews on your homepage or key service pages to grab attention as soon as visitors land on your site.
Use a variety of formats—such as short quotes with customer photos or longer stories with more details. Videos or audio clips can be particularly engaging.
Ensure authenticity—reviews should be genuine and reflect real experiences. Avoid overly polished or scripted testimonials, as they can appear less trustworthy.
Regularly update your reviews to keep the page fresh and demonstrate that your business continues to satisfy customers.
7. Optimize for SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) enhances your website so that it ranks higher in search engine results. Without proper SEO, your site may not appear when potential customers search for products or services like yours, resulting in missed traffic opportunities.
Why it matters: Effective SEO boosts your visibility, making it easier for new customers to find your website. Higher rankings mean more visitors who are interested in what you offer.
What to do:
Research keywords your audience is likely to use and incorporate them naturally in your page content, headings, subheadings, and body text.
Write unique, compelling meta descriptions for each page. This brief summary (about 155 characters) appears in search results and can influence click-through rates. Include relevant keywords and a call to action.
Use alt text for images to help search engines understand their content. Include descriptive, keyword-rich text that accurately represents the image.
Ensure clean URLs that contain relevant keywords. For example, “www.yoursite.com/services/website-design” is better than “www.yoursite.com/page123.”
Small updates to your website might seem minor or unnecessary, but they can significantly impact how people interact with your business online. From ensuring mobile compatibility and speeding up load times to adding CTAs and showcasing reviews, these changes can lead to increased traffic, more leads, and ultimately more sales.
Need a hand? Updating your website can feel daunting, especially if you’re not familiar with the technical details. Inspire Design Studio is here to help! Our team can handle everything from making your site mobile-friendly to optimizing SEO and adding impactful CTAs. We’ll take care of the updates so you can focus on running your business.
Let’s get your website performing at its best!