7. Keep the web page layout consistent throughout your site - I disagree with those who say the home page template should differ from the site’s interior pages. In my mind, all pages, images, elements, typefaces, headings, and footers should stay consistent throughout your site. Consistency may be the “hobgoblin of little minds” (Ralph Waldo Emerson), but it’s the hallmark of any standout website.

8. Keep text short - Recent statistics show that people read from computer screens 25% slower than from paper. To address this, break up your small business’ website copy into small blocks, use shorter paragraphs, lead off text sections with subheads, and occasionally use bullet pointed lists.

9. Provide a FAQ section - For recurring questions, a FAQ section can be a godsend. A FAQ will also help first time visitors get acquainted with your company and its philosophy. But more importantly, a FAQ section will build trust and credibility in the mind of a visitor by helping them answer their own questions.


10. Hang sales tools off your site - One of my larger clients hangs its latest PowerPoint sales presentations off its website. That way, one of its sales reps in Boston can give a product demo to a prospect in Wyoming without either of them leaving their offices. If your small business is national in scope, think of the travel savings if you adopt this approach.

11. Provide contact information on every page - Many times buyers print off web pages for further review. Then, they end up contacting your company from that piece of paper. That’s why it’s so important to include your company’s address, phone numbers and email at the bottom of each web page. As a marketer, your job is to make it as easy to do business with your company as possible. This is one way.


12. Increase media access to your company with a press room – If one objective of your site is to generate media coverage, consider adding a self-serve “Press Room” to the site. I was once emailed by a reporter who had, unbeknownst to me, downloaded one of my marketing articles and my biographical information from the “Press Kit” section of my website (www.emergemarketing.com). She then emailed me, seeking my permission to reprint the article, just hours from her deadline. The more accessible your website is to the media, the more your company will be written about.

Follow these twelve tips and you’ll be well on your way to a standout website design.

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