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What Every New Business Website Needs: A Guide
We cover the essentials that every new business website needs.
In a previous article, we discussed the essentials of getting a new website. In it, we covered the decisions every site owner must make when building or commissioning a new website. These included choosing where to host the website, choosing its domain, planning its basic functionalities and contents.
In another article, we discussed how your business can benefit from a website even if it currently runs well without one. We said that a website can give you the opportunity to develop your brand, establish a presence on the web and reach new customers.
But what if your business is brand new and you feel that you don’t have a lot to say about it yet? Perhaps you saw a competitor’s website and felt intimidated. How can you ever catch up to them? They have so many reviews and testimonials on their website, so much information, so many products…
Don’t worry! We are here to tell you that with diligent work and careful decision making, you can gradually flesh out and develop an impressive website of your own.
In this article we will cover the essentials that every new business website needs. We will give examples of what you can do even if you don’t have a lot to show yet.
One of the key functions of your website is to convince existing and potential customers to buy your products and services, even if they haven’t been in contact with your business yet. Everything you do on your website should in some way serve this basic goal.
A key way to do this is to gather social proof. For example, displaying reviews and testimonials of happy customers.
These tools are powerful because most potential customers will only buy if they have convincing and sufficient positive feedback from your existing customers. Even those who claim to be innovators and first-movers often wait for someone else to try a product or service before they do.
Of course, you will not have access to this source of social proof when you’re just starting out. You will have little to no reviews, testimonials, and projects in your portfolio to show.
But you shouldn’t be discouraged. This is the case for every business. We must all start somewhere. The good news is that there is still a lot that you can do to build trust on your website, which will help you attract customers and projects.
First, your branding needs to be impeccable.
In a previous article, we discussed the elements that make up a brand’s visual identity. These include its logo, font selection, color palette, imagery, etc.
To make the brand cohesive, they must all work together and support each other. They should be created according to a unifying vision.
Even if your business is new, you can lay strong foundations by working on your visual brand. This requires a lot of research, testing, and getting to know yourself and your audience.
We suggest working with an experienced graphic designer or agency to help you.
Related to this, before you begin working on your website, it is a good idea to develop the verbal aspects of your brand too. In a previous article, we discussed at length the importance of a brand’s voice and tone.
In it, we explained how you can define what communication is appropriate for your brand, be it formal or informal, serious or quirky, etc.
Deciding on how you want your brand to sound will help you write content for your new website that attracts customers who will feel understood and spoken to.
Another thing you can do from the start is to invest in high quality content for your website.
First, this can take the form of professional photos of you and your team. Showing the people behind the brand can go a long way to build trust for potential customers. This is especially the case if you’re a service-based business.
Second, if you market or sell physical products online, you can invest in high-quality photos for them. If you run a store, a restaurant, or any space your clients will visit, such as your office, you can upload professional photos of it to build trust.
The goal here is to make potential customers feel comfortable, welcomed and intrigued to visit your business.
Finally, you can produce high quality videos of your products or services. For example, if you run a hotel, you can create a high-quality video tour of it.
In combination with your brand’s logo, colors, and fonts, you can use these assets across your website to effectively build trust with potential customers. We will now cover the essential pages to add to your new site.
Your homepage is your website’s most important page to get right. It serves as an introduction to your website and, for many users, your business.
Having a clearly thought-out, professional and engaging homepage can set you on the path to success. The homepage should immediately communicate who you are, what you do, and how you can solve your customers’ problems.
The first section of a web page is called the hero section. Getting the hero section of your homepage right is a top priority.
The hero section must grab your audience’s attention, convey your most important message in your headline, and guide users to key actions you want them to take.
The hero section sets the standard for all subsequent content on your site. This is the first place where your visitor interacts with your brand’s logo, colors, and fonts.
Hero sections also often include key images such as a photo of you as the business owner. This is your best chance to impress your audience.
The rest of the homepage follows with sections ordered to tell your story in the most effective way, guiding the user on a journey through your page.
In this section, you can offer introductory information about your products and services, offering more context and detail to what you showed in the hero section.
You can, for example, distinguish by the general types of products and services you offer. If your user wants to learn more, you can direct them to your products and services pages. More on that later.
In this section, you can tell a short and impactful version of your story. You can explain why you founded the business, what you want to achieve, what your values are.
Based on your mission, you can make promises to your customers. They don’t need to be grand. In fact, it’s better to avoid overpromising.
For example, your mission could be to provide the best coffee in town. Your promise to your customers could be to always serve fresh coffee, no matter what time it is.
Making a clear promise on your homepage is a signal to your customers that you’re willing to commit to a high standard of quality. This will help you build trust with them, and they will hold you accountable.
If users are interested in reading more about your story, you can direct them with a button to a dedicated page where you can go into more detail.
Another section you can add to your homepage is a “benefits” or “why work with us” section.
Here, you can make a value proposition to your customers, and list specific relevant features of your products and services.
For example, “no delays”, “unlimited refills”, “free shipping”, etc. You can also compare yourself to another service.
For example, if you run a full-service car wash, you can list the benefits to your customers by comparing yourself to a self-service car wash.
This will give your customers a frame of reference when evaluating your business proposition.
Finally, you can add an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Section to your homepage to address your customers’ main concerns.
This is especially important when your business is new. Your customers may have a lot of questions about what you offer and how to interact with your business. A clear FAQ Section can go a long way to build trust with them.
In our experience, it’s a common business mistake to assume that your customers know your products and services as well as you do, but that’s rarely the case.
Your customers might be shy to get in touch with you to ask questions, so it’s a great idea to answer the most common ones in a FAQ section.
Some web visitors love to read as much as possible about a product or service before they buy. This is especially the case with big-ticket items and when the purchaser fears reputation risks.
For example, if you sell services to serious or conservative institutions like universities, it is likely they will need to review a lot of information before they decide to buy.
For most businesses, it’s a good idea to write in a conversational and friendly tone as if you’re speaking to the customer directly.
Here are some items to include in it:
- Questions about your services: Think about the most common questions you’ve already received, or ones you anticipate, and provide detailed answers.
- Process-related questions: How long does your service take? What’s your refund policy? Is there a guarantee? This helps manage expectations and reduce friction.
Finally, a clear FAQ section can reduce costs by answering customers’ questions before they get in touch with you or your customer support team.
As we mentioned previously, you can include an “About Us” section on your home page to tell a concise version of your story.
If your web visitors want to read more, you can direct them to a dedicated “About Us” page where you can tell your story in more detail.
When you’re just starting out with your business, this page can do much of the heavy lifting in building trust with your customers. In it, you will be able to tell them why you started your business, the problems you want to solve, what your mission is, and what your values are.
People are attracted to great origin stories, so it’s a great idea to tell yours.
Were you frustrated with current solutions in the market? Did you have an “aha!” moment when you discovered a problem that needs solving?
For example, you found that you’re allergic to most cosmetic products. You decided to create a brand for people with your problem.
Another thing you can do is to share your bio.
As this is your own website, you will not be limited by a template or social media profile in how you tell your story. We discussed the power of having a website serving as your CV in this article. You can create the bio you’ve always wanted to show.
For example, you can use an animated timeline of your professional career that led to the creation of your business.
It’s a good idea to share your professional qualifications, certifications, media appearances, events you took part in, club and society memberships, projects, volunteer experience, etc. As you continue to grow, as you add new credentials to your CV, you can update your bio accordingly.
Your bio is important, particularly if you’re a professional in a traditional field like law, medicine, or finance. It will go a long way to build trust with your customers.
As we said earlier in the article, investing in high-quality photos of you, your team, and your location can be a great way to build trust with your customers.
The “About Us” page is the perfect place to display these pictures. Even if it’s just you for now and you have no one working for you yet, don’t be shy, share a photo of yourself.
You can find creative ways to position yourself around being a 1-person business. For example, your competitors with large teams might have higher overhead costs and charge more for a similar service.
We said earlier that you can include a services, products and benefits section on your home page. Its goal is to give an overview of the types of services and products you offer.
If your web visitor needs more context, you can direct them to a dedicated page that provides more detail about the product or service.
These pages will allow you to generate interest in your offerings by concentrating on their benefits, even if they’re brand new.
If you invested in professional product pictures, this is the place to show them. Visuals will go a long way to build trust.
Here is what to include on product and service pages:
Explain what each service or product does. Don’t assume that customers know what you know, so avoid jargon and use clear, simple language. Provide as much relevant detail as possible.
Rather than just describing features, explain how your product or service will improve your customer’s life or business.
How will it save them time? Will it help reduce stress and how? How will it help make them more successful?
There are many ways to go about adding pricing information. There are no right or wrong answers.
Perhaps you’re not yet ready or comfortable to list exact pricing, but you don’t need to.
You can use phrases like “starting from”, give a range, give hourly rates, etc.
You can add tiered pricing for your services, especially if they’re subscription-based.
You can list packages, discounts, promotions and deals.
Whatever you do, just be sure to include a way for customers to contact you to discuss their needs or request a quote.
Your website should make it as easy as possible for potential customers to reach out. Even if you don’t have a physical office or a big customer service team, a clear contact page is essential.
In it, you should use friendly language, inviting customers to get in touch with you in whatever way is most convenient for them.
Then, if appropriate, you should include the following items:
Adding a contact form gives visitors an easy way to get in touch with you. This is especially true for customers who may be shy and reluctant to call.
Ask contact form users to provide the information you need to get back to them or effectively answer their question.
This can include fields for their name, email, phone number, and a message box where they can describe their needs.
If you collect personal information, explain how it will be stored and used in accordance with data protection laws, and do not abuse it. This will build trust in your customers.
It’s good practice to include spam protection for your contact form, such as a captcha.
Adding your phone number and email address can be helpful for people who prefer direct contact.
Some potential customers will want to hear a voice on the other side and judge your trustworthiness that way. Are you a real person? Do you sound legitimate?
Adding your phone number will show that you’re ready to answer their call.
If you have set operating hours, list them so people know when to expect a response. If a typical response from you takes, say, 1-2 business days, tell your customers. That way they won’t wonder what has happened to their inquiry.
If you have a physical address, it’s a great idea to include it.
You can embed a map location, such as your profile on Google Maps. This can allow your customers to get directions to your business and find you easily.
If you don’t serve specific locations, say it. This will reduce the frustration of customers placing an order or inquiry, only to find they can’t use your service.
Even if you’re working from home or don’t accept visits to your office, including a general location like “Serving the greater New York area” can help with local SEO.
Finally, a powerful tool to establish credibility with your audience is to create a blog for your website. It will allow you to go into much greater detail about topics related to your products and services that you can’t share on other pages.
A blog is particularly useful to provide extra information and context to potential customers who need it. Some of your visitors will be ready to buy as soon as they enter your website. They know what they want and they know you. Others will need more education.
For example, imagine that you run a beauty clinic. You may offer modern-sounding solutions, interventions, and cosmetic products.
Some of your customers may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. Which is the right one for them? Are there any risks or side effects?
A blog is a great place to lay the foundations of what your products and services are about and leave potential customers enough material to read at their own pace. The goal is to build enough trust in them so they get in touch with you.
As we have shown, even if your business is new, a website will offer you plenty of opportunities to build trust with potential customers immediately.
Even if you don’t have reviews, testimonials or projects yet, you can tell your story, display your branding, answer questions, and give much relevant information.
This can be achieved both on your home page as well as dedicated product or service pages, an “About Us” page, a contacts page, and a blog.
To create the most value for you and your customers with your new website, we suggest working with an experienced designer or agency.
Need a website for your new business? Send us your brief!
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