{"id":7435,"date":"2014-06-04T16:50:36","date_gmt":"2014-06-04T23:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/?p=7435"},"modified":"2014-06-25T13:57:17","modified_gmt":"2014-06-25T20:57:17","slug":"how-smart-is-your-small-business-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yola.com\/blog\/how-smart-is-your-small-business-website\/","title":{"rendered":"How smart is your small business website?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Article written by Megan Totka, Chief Editor of ChamberofCommerce.com<\/em><\/p>\n

Whether we’re talking about our small businesses or ourselves, so much of our existence online is about appearances<\/em> – how we present ourselves, what we post and where we decide to post it. These seemingly simple decisions ultimately frame us to our friends, colleagues, and customers on the Web. Keeping up appearances online is as simple as it is challenging, as we try to stay true to ourselves while also trying to sell, market and micromanage.<\/p>\n

Appearances can be deceiving when it comes to your small business website. Partly because \u201cappearance\u201d means much, much more than just \u201cdesign,\u201d yet also because it\u2019s easy to \u201clet ourselves go\u201d when it comes to our sites if we aren\u2019t taking the time to keep them up. Yet also consider that in this sort of \u201cage of appearances,\u201d there’s a lot at stake. For example, social platforms such as Facebook have drastically cut into the traffic of most traditional websites<\/a>. However, most business owners and marketers concur that social media cannot<\/em> replace the website for SMBs, regardless of the uproar.<\/p>\n

\"Desk
\nThe modern small business site is at a crossroads. In an increasingly mobile age where smart phones and social media appear to marginalizing the traditional web page, small business owners are not only tasked with competing with other sites in their space<\/a>, but also the notion that the modern site \u201cdoesn’t matter.\u201d For this reason, our sites must outdo themselves in order to remain relevant and draw in visitors against the social beast.<\/p>\n

How can we ensure our site comes out on top against these odds? Build a site that looks and feels smarter. Doing so requires us to put our expertise and creativity to the test; however, much of our efforts require us to simply keep up appearances. So where do we start?<\/p>\n

Smarter Design<\/strong>
\nIn an age of smart phones, your website’s design has to be equally \u201csmart.\u201d Due to the recent influx of mobile users, mobile accessibility is a must for the modern SMB. Yet in addition, consider simplifying your site’s layout in order to make it easier to maneuver.
\nMany sites these days are taking a minimalist approach<\/a> in order to feed users’ shorter attention spans and satisfy the needs of users that don’t want to wade through a mess of information. Are you leading your users in the right direction from the start? The fundamentals of design for the modern site include a site that’s easy to navigate and understand, meanwhile is also easy on the eyes. Are you following these principles in your own design?<\/p>\n

Smarter Content<\/strong>
\nIn the \u201cwar\u201d against social sites, your site’s content is the best weapon in your arsenal.<\/p>\n

While the social channels are optimal for sharing content, they don’t do well to house it. Facebook and Twitter are a hotbed for links and articles, yet such content leads to external sources. That’s where your site comes in. As the social network is a prime way to get your site noticed, optimize your content<\/a> accordingly:<\/p>\n