5 days, 5 Tips: Get your website basics right

In the last three months, we’ve seen thousands of businesses from across Australia create a free website as part of Getting Aussie Business Online, a nationwide initiative to give small businesses a site that’s easy to set up and maintain. Accountants, plumbers, wholesalers, and even free range farmers can now be found by the millions of Aussies looking for local business information online.

But we’ve heard from many businesses that after they push go and publish their website, they’re not quite sure what to do next. So we’ve created five tips for making simple improvements. Try out one each day for the next week, and see what a difference you can make in five days.

TIP #1 -- Pick a good domain name. Your domain name is part of your identity online. This is the address that customers type into the address bar in their Internet browser to reach your website. It’s how they remember your site, so it’s important that it’s short, simple, and relevant to your business name or products and services. Try to keep it under 10 characters, and avoid special characters like hyphens. Check your domain name by reading it aloud and having a friend take a look.

TIP #2 -- Describe your business clearly. Pretend you’re describing your business to a total stranger who knows nothing about you, what you sell, or how to find you. Keep your language simple and easy-to-understand and include essentials like location, opening hours, and contact information. Use short sentences, headings, and bullet points.

TIP #3 -- Explain why you stand out. What makes you better than big chains or other competitors? It could be a service or an expertise not offered by others, such as a bike shop that offers same-day service for repairs or a personal consultation to get the right frame fit. Back up any claims with clear examples. For example, “accountant with 30 years of experience in tax law” is better than “experienced accountant”.

TIP #4 -- Be a stickler for details. Your website is not the place to be fuzzy on details like opening hours or contact information. Use precise language to describe your hours of operations and how to contact you. Instead of “open some Sundays”, make it clear that you’re “open first Sunday of every month” or ask your customers to “call to arrange an appointment on Sunday”.

TIP #5 -- Spellcheck. At best, typos can make your website look sloppy and unprofessional. At worst, they can leave potential customers wondering whether you pay attention to more important business details. Review your website for misspellings, extra letters and characters, and incorrect grammar. You don’t have to be the comma police, but you should have the right number of “o”s in Woolloomooloo.

Remember that a website is a living thing, so you can log in and update it any time you like. Let these tips guide you and stay tuned for more.

Posted by Kate Conroy, Product Specialist