Websites for big business
- Read time: 4 mins
- Tech level: low
- Key point: website design for the business sector requires components that differ from other industries
Websites are the most valuable commercial property on the planet.
A company website acts as its face to the world and countless potential new customers.
A website that powerfully communicates the benefits of a brand is one the easiest ways to position a business ahead of the competition.
No large corporation that wants to remain competitive in the marketplace can afford to ignore the performance of its website.
To make the process of developing an effective business website easier, we’ve put together a ‘how to’ for building a successful website for your business.
Communicate who you are and what you do
It might sound obvious but you would be surprised by how many business websites fail to communicate their brand effectively.
A visitor to your website should know within moments who you are and what you do.
The homepage should clearly state the company name and your offering. A good description will communicate this within seconds and the visitor will not need to think.
Make sure you do your research and include keywords in the description that your target audiences actually use. A common trap is to use internal jargon in a message that’s aimed at people that aren’t familiar with those terms.
Leadership
Providing details of company management on the website is essential to inspire trust, reliability and brand value for new customers.
If people are going to engage with your business, enrol in your courses, or invest in your stocks, they are going to want to know that the company is run by experienced leaders in their industry who hold a solid track record of success.
Provide a biography listing positions they have held, their credentials, accreditations, any boards they sit on, and anything else that reflects their experience and expertise.
It’s also a good idea to include a photo and case studies of how their leadership has made a positive impact.
Culture
The first place most potential new customers get an idea about the company culture of your business is from the website.
Highlighting what sets your organisation apart from its competitors on the About Us and Careers pages is a great way of telling the story of your business and how it benefits its people and the community.
The About Us page is a great way to communicate how your company is committed to its stakeholders, both internal and external. Showcase any initiatives your business has taken towards timely issues such as equality, the environment or volunteering.
The Careers page provides a unique opportunity to recruit new employees to the business. Providing clear job descriptions, along with testimonials from both current and past employees will help to attract new talent that will work to grow your business.
Annual Reports
Annual reports are a great way of showcasing the performance of your organisation to stakeholders and potential new investors.
Including annual reports shows transparency while providing details on how the organisation works to capitalise on its resources and grow business. Be sure to include easy to digest data, major milestones and projected growth based on past performance.
It’s important to remember that not all annual reports are equal – especially when it comes to presentation. Make sure they are well designed, correctly formatted and clearly communicate the uniqueness of your business.
Outline a call to action
Again, it may sound obvious, but many business websites fail to outline a call to action.
If you want your visitors to make contact, call you for a quote, or simply buy your product, then you need to direct them to take these actions.
For a call to action to be effective you must use clear and concise language that provokes an immediate response.
The use of a verb is essential, as is telling your customers what benefits they will experience by taking these actions.
It’s important to highlight a call to action on a website – try bold text, or use a unique icon.
Content will always be king for a winning website
Your website is often the first place your business will make its first impression on a potential customer. It’s an opportunity that should not be missed – but often is.
Great web content lies at the foundation of building conversations between your business and its target audiences.
Content that is original and well written will build traffic, generate leads and achieve success because it will improve the customer experience.
The key for return traffic and great SEO lies in fresh content. Updating the content on your site on a regular basis will keep your customers engaged and Google rankings on the rise.
Clear location and contact information
If potential customers don’t know how to contact you, or where to find you, then they may take their business elsewhere.
If your business has a physical shopfront, provide clear location details that explain where and how your customers can find you.
Even if the website visitor will never actually walk into your business, knowing where the shopfronts are located will provide a certain level of confidence.
Provide tools like a location finder and a Google Map reference along with images of the business, all of which will make it easier for customers to find you.
Website security
Website security is one of the most critical elements when it comes to website design for the business sector.
It’s important not to develop a reputation for poor security as it may prove difficult to reverse. A high standard of security is essential when people are sharing their credit card or other financial details online.
It's critical that the security of your website is robust, constantly monitored, and that contingency plans are established ahead of time. This is where an enterprise class CMS can make a significant difference.
An enterprise class CMS is an insurance policy for your website
An enterprise class CMS is more secure than other websites such as WordPress. WordPress is popular, but it happens to be the most hacked system on the planet.
An enterprise class CMS is your company’s first defence against hackers because of its architecture. Inbuilt security technologies are available to most enterprise class CMS components.
Updating to an enterprise class CMS will help solve any current issues and prevent any future problems for your organisation.
Uptime continuity is the key to inspiring confidence and trust in your business. Using an enterprise class CMS means that plans and processes can be set in place that wrap around website uptime, keeping your business online and available to customers.
But if all this sounds confusing or too hard, the team at Polished Pixels can help.
Experts in building websites for the business sector
Contact Polished Pixels for assistance if you are planning a web project and want help.
We are a results driven Sydney based website agency providing expert website design for business.
All of our team members have previously worked in large organisations. We understand the frustrations that come with not being able to improve a company website.
Polished Pixels specialises in leading website projects for large organisations in the business services and education sectors. We have built websites for numerous market-leading brands, including IOOF, MGSM, and MAFC.
Services include enterprise class CMS implementation, customer centric web design, and website content strategy.
Our services result in a strong and secure web presence for your business created with significant savings on company time and budgetary resources.
More information:
- see our case studies for large organisations in business services
- why use an enterprise CMS for your organisation
