Small business owners need to reach as many potential customers as possible and offer information and services to existing customers to retain them if they want their business to grow. The best way to do that is creating a website. But, creating a run-of-the-mill website won’t wow anyone. That’s why you need to tap into the secrets of creating a killer website for your small business.

Customers Want to Read Reviews

Consumers turn to the Internet when they want to know more about products, services, and businesses. While they will click through your website to learn more, they really want to read reviews when making their buying decisions. In fact, online reviews have a significant impact on businesses, according to BrightLocal:

• Consumers spend approximately 31 percent more on products and services from businesses that have excellent reviews.
• 85 percent of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• Negative reviews can lose a business approximately 22 percent of customers.

Of course, you don’t have any control over the reviews customers write about you on social media or review sites including Yelp, but you can control the narrative when you include customer testimonials on your business website. Potential customers already visit your site, so give them the information they want.  You’ll impress them and save them the time of looking elsewhere for reviews. If you need help in getting customers to write reviews for your site, check out these tips from Bob Phibbs.

To take your online customer reviews one step further, provide a link on your website to your business’ Facebook page. Existing customers give star ratings on Facebook and write comments if they choose, so providing another link to reviews from your site is smart for business. That’s also why you should post your Better Business Bureau rating on your business homepage.

Starting an Online Store is a Must

If you’re a small business owner, you may be thinking about starting an online store, as e-commerce is booming with many consumers spending thousands each year on the Internet. Short for electronic commerce, e-commerce is any business transaction that occurs online. It’s also the reason that you should stop thinking about starting an online store and actually create one. 

There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than seeing an awesome product on your site but not being able to buy it from you. Since potential customers already visit your site, you need to give them access to products so that you can meet their expectations and convert them to paying customers instead of leaving them hanging as frustrated window shoppers. Keep in mind that the easier you make it for site visitors to find your products, the more online sales you will make. That’s why you should link to products on your homepage.

To make your online store profitable, ensure that you tempt customers with features they expect. For example, you should work with a digital marketing agency to design your site and optimize it and your online store for mobile. You also should consider offering free shipping or a same-day shipping option for loyal customers or to entice new customers to buy from you.

Create a Blog on Your Website

You also should work with a marketing firm that specializes in e-commerce to market your online store effectively. A strong marketing strategy will build your customer base, increase your customer retention rates and give you the return on investment you want to see. 

A quality marketing firm also will work with you to create a blog to deliver value to customers by way of information that sets your business apart as an authority in your industry. The content on your blog will build trust in your brand, keep people informed and entice them to continue buying from you.

Because customers continue to spend more money online each year, small business owners must create a website. The key is to make your website truly great. To beat the competition, feature online customer reviews, start an online store, and work with a marketing firm to create a strong marketing strategy that includes a blog for your business.

Here’s a list of some professionals you may want to hire to help create and effective and engaging website:

• Hire Drupal developer freelancers to add functionality to your website.
• A graphic designer can keep your visuals up-to-date.
• Bring on a web developer for your coding and programming needs. 

Written by Lindsey Weiss