Can’t See the Web for the Trees
Our advice for businesses online
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So it’s clear that SMEs are working hard on their online output, which fits in with consumers priorities. However, limited in-house skills, time and financial resource can be a real hindrance.
We know that secure payment options, up to date information, easy to find contact details and clear designs are important – so what can you do to improve these?
Poor design
An unattractive website design will not present your business in the best light to potential customers, and they are likely to make a decision not to use your company if it doesn’t look professional, modern, and easy to use. So it’s important to ensure your website complies with online best practice, and this includes things like a complementary colour palette, visually appealing images of your business, its products and services, and also of course, your logo. Poor web design can also make it harder for customers to find what they are looking for. So a clean, simple, and self-explanatory navigation is key in order to convert visitors to your website to actual customers.
Out of date information
It’s important to check that your business contact details are all up to date on your website, e.g. no old email addresses or phone numbers, and that your list of products and services are reviewed and refreshed regularly. Visitors should also be able to find them quickly and easily from any page on your website, so it’s a good idea for them to appear in the header and/or footer of every page on your site. Google checks for when your website was last updated as an indicator of its quality, so it’s important to make sure you add new content, and update existing information regularly. You can check where your contact details appear online in Yell’s free online scan – get your report now.
Slow site speed
A website can be slow to load for a number of reasons. Cheap hosting on a shared low-spec server is often one reason. Another reason can be an overload of unnecessary code and plugins. High resolution images that haven’t been optimised for internet usage is another key contributor to slow site loading speeds. All of these can negatively impact your website’s performance, not only in terms of how search engines will judge the quality of your website, but also in terms of customer experience. If a visitor has to wait a long time for your site to load on their computer or mobile device, they are likely to give up and go elsewhere.
No SSL certificate
When potential customers are transferring their personal information, particularly payment details, to your business via your website, you need to ensure this is transferred securely. An SSL certificate on your website hosting will provide this, indicated by the padlock symbol and ‘https’ part of your web address. These are visual indicators that your website is secure, and will encrypt any transmission of personal data via your site. SSL certificates are provided with every Yell website, so visitors can be confident that your site is secure and trustworthy. It’s also an important ranking factor in Google search results.
Let the experts at Yell help you
If you’re ready to make your online presence the best it can be, but don’t have the time or skills needed to be done well, Yell is here to help. We’ve combined our digital expertise and customer service with one of the world’s leading web development platforms, Wix, to help your website look, function and perform as well as it should.
Learn more about Yell Smart Websites – powered by Wix.
Survey methodology
1,011 SME owners and 2,039 consumers were surveyed in April 2021 by Censuswide on behalf of Yell Business.