When you’re a small business owner, your website can truly serve as the foundation from which your business can grow — it’s a place where you can educate your visitors about who you are, what you do, who you serve, and what sets you apart from others in your field. It’s a place where you can build meaningful connections with your visitors and more effectively sell your products and services. Today, we’re sharing how to create a connection-focused and conversion-focused web design — a website to help your visitors truly feel connected to you and the heart behind your business and become excited, loyal customers or clients. 

How to Create a Connection-Focused, Conversion-Focused Web Design

This season ahead — Black Friday, the holiday season — tends to be a really busy, exciting, and even overwhelming season for small business owners. If your business offers a Black Friday promotion, it’s likely you’re in the thick of social media scheduling, newsletter scheduling, and perfecting the details of your offer. If your business winds down during fall and winter, then maybe you’re in a season of rest, or you’re just beginning to look for ways to refresh or fortify your business for the year ahead. 

No matter your circumstance, you might be thinking: If I’m already booking clients, and my business is already up and running — why does having a connection-driven website matter? Put simply, if your social media strategy and your newsletter strategy are leading your audience to your website, it’s essential for your website to work on your behalf — to truly connect with your visitors, to help your visitors become fans and dedicated followers of your business, and to equip your visitors to confidently choose to work with you or purchase from you. 

And to go a step beyond how your website functions: When your website is working on your behalf, you can experience a renewed sense of purpose, confidence, and peace about your business… and focus on the work you love most, knowing your website is working for you. There truly is a “ripple effect” when your website works on your behalf… when your goals are reflected in your web design. 

So, today, we’ve rounded up 5 actionable ways to create a connection-focused and conversion-focused web design. You may even be able to squeeze in some of these action steps before the busy holiday season arrives!

1. Be clear about the goals you have for your business, and therefore, for your website. You may feel totally ready to approach or re-approach your web design, but before you do, it’s essential to have clarity about the goals you have for your business. These goals will help inform the decisions you make about your web design — whether you need a new template to better align with the structure and goals of your business, or you’ve determined you need to hire a professional designer to ensure all of the key elements of your website are in place. At With Grace and Gold, for example, our goal is to let our visitors know we can equip them for success in two ways: by choosing a customizable Showit website templates, or by booking our Custom Brand and Web Design Experience. This clarity allows us to create our web design with purpose — ensuring every detail of our design is educating, serving, and guiding our visitors toward the products or services they are seeking. So, first, determine the goals you have for your business, and let those goals lead you through the design process. Every decision should be rooted in your goals. 
2. Take a ‘less is more’ approach to your copywriting and content. It’s likely there is a lot to know about the products and services you offer through your business. If you’re a photographer, you likely want to share about your packages, your process, your recommendations, your frequently asked questions — and more. If you’re a designer, you likely want to share about the technical details of your offerings, your process, and so much more. As an expert in your field, there is a great deal you know and can share with your audience, so it’s natural to feel compelled to include all of those details within your web design. If possible, we recommend paring down your copywriting and content, at least for the public pages your visitors see. That way, once you receive an inquiry or book a client, you can provide a private pricing guide, or a client welcome guide, with all of those additional details. By taking a ‘less is more’ approach to those client-facing pages, you can allow your visitors to engage with your content, to get a feel for your expertise and approach, and to confidently choose to reach out to you to learn more. On the other hand, if a visitor is navigating through a great deal of content and copywriting, they may feel overwhelmed or unsure about whether your business is the right choice. 
3. Speak directly to your audience, in a personal and helpful way. Over the years, our clients have begun choosing to work with professional copywriters — perhaps purchasing their digital products and resources, or perhaps working one-on-one with a copywriter. These copywriting resources and services can make all the difference in how your website connects with your visitors. Through purposeful copywriting, the words within your website can truly help visitors to hear your voice, sense your personality, and build trust with you. 
4. Showcase your values in intentional ways. Put simply, having a connection-driven web design means giving your audience something to connect with — like sharing the same values you do. Maybe you value a communication-focused process, maybe you value collaboration, being timely, or lending your expertise. When you share what you value, your audience will better understand what sets you apart from others in your field. 
5. Include a clear call-to-action on every page of your website. Whether you include a button, a link, or a form, having a clear call-to-action on every page of your website lets your visitors know what they should do next. After exploring your Services page, what should a visitor do next? Put yourself in your visitors’ shoes, and ensure there is a clear and simple call-to-action for them to follow as they explore and reach the bottom of each page. 

Today, we shared 5 actionable ways to create a connection-focused and conversion-focused web design. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share about it on Instagram Stories, and tag us @withgraceandgold to let us know you listened to and enjoyed the episode.

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.