Did you know that less than 65% of small businesses have a website?
If you’re part of the crowd that doesn’t have a business website, you need to change that quickly! With 8 out of 10 Americans now shopping online, you’re missing out on a huge audience if you haven’t set up shop on the world wide web.
But a website doesn’t always seem possible if you haven’t got the budget. Luckily, this isn’t the case, and even the tightest of pockets can afford website design if you know what you’re doing.
Check out our hacks for creating a great website that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Make Navigation Simple
It’s easy to think that your website has to be full of features and incredibly complicated to stand out. But, this is actually very far from the truth! By paring down your website, you could both save money and make it more effective.
For example, try to make the navigation around your website simpler with fewer pages. By having too many different page choices, your page will look cluttered, and your users could become distracted, reducing the likeliness that they’ll click on an important page that will lead to a conversion. Having fewer choices available will also make it easier for your audience to find what they’re looking for, improving user experience.
For bonus points, make sure that your navigation bar is at the top of your website in the header section. This is much easier to find than placing it to the side or at the bottom of the page.
By making your navigation simpler, you’ll save time working on your site and reduce the cost of your website. At the same time, you’ll make it more focused on conversions, so it’s a win-win!
Find Copyright-Free Images
Users respond to visuals, and it can help make your site look more appealing and easier to digest. But if you’re on a budget, you probably can’t afford a photographer.
This is where copyright-free images are going to become a lifesaver. By doing some thorough searching, you can find quality images that you can use without paying even a dollar! Some good sites to look at include:
- Unsplash
- Pixabay
- Pexels
You can also change your search settings in Google to labeled for reuse to find copyright-free images. Whether you’re working with website development consultants on an eCommerce site or working on a blog, you can find a wealth of great, free pictures that you can use. Just make sure that they’re relevant to your site, fit with your brand identity, and add value to your audience.
Don’t Overload Your Website
Any website development services team will tell you that an easy way to improve your site is by not overloading it. It can be so tempting to chuck a load of images, graphics, videos, and other cool features onto your website, but this isn’t a good idea.
You’ve got to remember that each feature you add to your website is going to slow it down. When you think about the fact that users will leave if your site doesn’t load within two seconds, you can see why too many features will quickly work against you! Slow loading speeds can also affect your SEO negatively, so it’s best to keep yours as quick as you can.
Of course, you will need some features and plugins. The key is to make sure you only use those that have real value to your users and improve their experience of your website. If you realize that a plugin isn’t being used over time, make sure you remove it.
Not only will this hack speed up your site, but it’ll also save you a lot of money on unnecessary features!
Add Button CTAs
If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your website, CTAs are a must. Otherwise known as calls to action, these are how you encourage users to do something that you want them to, such as signing up to a mailing list or checking out another of your web pages.
To make sure your CTAs really work, make sure you use them in a button. This will grab your audience’s attention and increase your click-through rate. For an extra boost, animate your CTA buttons to move a little every few seconds.
This is such a small design feature to add to your website that could make a big difference! Try it out in your website development process and see if it works for you.
Invest In A Custom Theme
There is one thing you shouldn’t skimp on when it comes to website design and hosting. A lot of businesses think using a free template will be good enough for their site, but if you want yours to stand out from the crowd and really have an impact, it’s always better to go custom. While this might be more expensive in the short term, in the long term, it should give you a better ROI.
This is because custom designs come with a heap of benefits that templates just don’t have. For example, they can be designed to suit the exact purpose of your brand and show off your unique identity. They can also be updated regularly if you want to improve the functionality or fix bugs.
Invest In Your Website Design
While there are definitely ways you can cut costs while improving user experience, it is important you do invest as much as you can into your website. As the world becomes more online-shopping focused, your site is going to become a focal point of your whole business. Do you really want to skimp on that?
For website design services that will show off your brand, take a look at Let’s B Media. Our expert web designers can create you a site that you’ll be proud to show off while sticking to your budget.
