There’s no question that your business needs a website, but what does your website need? As the online face of your business, it needs to provide essential information about the services you offer—and it should look good doing it.

Paul Cappello of Cybershore in Madison, which specializes in website design, said, “With the growing popularity of smartphones and other web-enabled devices, more and more consumers are browsing the web using their mobile devices rather than a traditional computer. For someone who’s never seen the full version of your website, the mobile version may be their first impression of your business.”

1. The Basics

At baseline, include name, phone number, address, and a Google map. Beyond that, it depends on the business. Regardless of what you do put up, don’t put too much. Fast loading time is essential. However, don’t skip video on account of this. A short, one-minute description of who you are and what you do creates a personal touch that can break the ice during a first encounter.

“Having a video on your site is a great way to engage your customers,” commented Tomas Pepin of Cybershore, “but there are a couple of ‘gotchas’ a business owner should look out for. Never set the video to automatically play. Videos should also be hosted on services such as YouTube or Vimeo. The files can be large and result in overage charges from your hosting company. YouTube can also give your site a SEO boost from Google in your search rankings, which is an added bonus.”

2. Establish a Brand

According to Joseph Lambert, owner of JLI Designs in Deep River, it’s important to transmit a unique aspect of your company; i.e., establish a brand.

“I usually try to determine what might be that one unique thing that separates whomever I’m working with from the rest of their industry,” said Lambert.

The brand can revolve around a unique dish that people identify with a restaurant, the prominent use of colorful flowers by a landscaping company, or any other memorable feature.

3. Links & Social Media

“Links away and links back, anything that can help to establish the fact that you’re recognized, that you’re involved in your industry, that’s very valuable,” said Lambert.

Start with Facebook and Twitter, which have become integral parts of most businesses. Participating in social media sites shows that not only should the community be interested in you, but that you’re interested and involved in your community.

4. A Pretty Face

People browse the web quickly, and it’s easier to absorb an image than a block of text. While that could be seen as a drawback, Lambert views it as an opportunity to capture attention using image-driven web design. His websites often feature a brief slideshow that exemplifies the look and feel of the business.

“It can work whether it’s a restaurant or any business that has a visual impact,” he said. “By the time the visitor has spent maybe 15 seconds on the site you would hope that they would have connected with your visual message.”

Similarly, text should be minimal. If your product has visual appeal, skip the description and put up an image instead.

“The idea is always to make a visual impact quickly,” Lambert said.

5. Email Marketing

Gathering a database of your clients’ email addresses is another vital piece of online marketing. Lambert suggests using small enticements such as free dessert at a restaurant in return for an email address. A business can then send an email blast to everyone on the list through a company such as Constant Contact.

“Once a week we might send out an email blast to all the club members of that business telling them what the specials are or what might be going on,” Lambert said.

Lambert noted that effective email blasts carry over the look and feel of the website to help enforce a company’s brand.

6. Responsive Design

Because people today use their phones for absolutely everything, advertising online or even on a traditional website may not be the best avenue to reach them.

A traditional website may load slowly on a smartphone or require a lot of scrolling. This is where responsive design comes in.

“If you’re planning on a site redesign in the near future,” advised Pepin, “responsive design will ensure your site looks consistent across desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. A site that works well, especially via a smartphone, can be crucial for small businesses such as restaurants and cafes.”

The advantages are huge. Users can touch a number and call it instantly, putting your business only a finger’s touch away.

Smartphone users can simply tap their phones onto microchips to receive or transmit information. Uses range from tapping your phone onto a poster to receive a coupon to tapping it on a register to pay a bill.

Terms of the Trade

e-commerce site – an online store geared toward selling a product

email blast – email sent through a mailing list to broadcast a message to a database of clients

image-driven web design – web design that relies heavily on images to capture a visitor's attention

NFC - “near field communication” is short-range wireless

communication used to transmit information between devices

QR codes – “quick response” codes are the black and white barcodes, scannable by many cell phones, that contain a piece of information

responsive design – the ability of a webpage to respond to the screen size of the device used to access it

social media – technology that creates a community in which people can connect