Is your small business trying to attract new customers while also reaching new audiences online?
We know the feeling, and are currently working with numerous businesses and brands to show them how to get the most out of WordPress and online marketing to grow their presence online in the process.
Today we are going to look at a few different local businesses and see how they’ve constructed their own websites and blogs using the WordPress platform.
Take notes from each of these examples and discover how you can implement them into your own business and branding efforts today.
Keep it Clean
Clutter can help create an enthralling scene or hide a few clues in an escape room, but it will only get in the way on your site’s landing page.
The main page of your site is a bit like the buttons in an elevator. Ideally, these buttons should be clearly labeled and easy to find, you don’t need a lot of extra mess.
Take a look at this escape room website and see the screenshot of their site below. Instantly, the site gives off the vibe of secrecy, fun, and relating to the Halloween season — all while also getting the point across that it’s a fun escape room adventure for anyone searching in their local area.
Sticking with the focus of keeping the theme and design simple, all of the call to actions and buttons on the side are easy to navigate and select as well.
With a simple “Play Now” link on the top and in the middle, it’s easy to get users navigating through the site and ready to take action.
This custom theme is a perfect example of how to set the tone of your escape room (or any type of business and call to action) — this is where the importance of good web design comes in.
When looking to establish your local business online, take the time to research the right design template. Once doing so, you’ll be able to find that perfect balance between functionality and style no problem.
Add Easy Localized Navigation to Your Site
Depending on the type of local business you have, there might be many different locations or retail spots that your business is accepting new customers.
This is also something WordPress can help with, especially if you are looking to create a directory of local businesses, or even just a resource for your own properties.
We can see a nice example of this when searching for CBD shops in your area. While this example might not be WordPress-powered, it still makes for a perfect example of how to lay out your navigation in a way that’s easy for your audience to use.
This is also a common feature that you will find on many hotel blogs and websites, as there are various locations for the end user to search on.
Depending on the CMS that is running your site, the option for using a WordPress powered theme that has directory/map listings always exists. There are also plenty of premium WordPress plugins that can help with this process as well.
Either way, if your local business has multiple locations, you will want to make sure your audience can find them and navigate through your site with as much ease as possible.
Style is Everything
Just like everything in life, first impressions mean everything. The same holds true for both your business and it’s website.
If someone went to your local restaurant and wasn’t happy with it’s cleanliness or how it looked, they likely wouldn’t eat there. The same thing can be said about your online exposure and how your site relates with your audience.
Sticking with the concept of restaurants and local dining, there are many custom themes already out there that were created used for these markets.
Instead of going with a default or basic WordPress theme, you can choose from any of our restaurant themes and instantly have a design that is dressed to impress!
It addition to having a visually appealing site, it’s also important to have great navigation, updated content, and menus for your audience to sort through as well. All of this and more is already built into each of the themes shown above.
As always, don’t forget to include a few high-quality images of your retail location and make sure your site looks like a strong reflection of what your guests can expect to find when they come to visit.
Make it Mobile
Finally, when it comes to finding the best local business or restaurants, there is a good chance your audience will be doing this through their mobile device.
At the same time, there will also probably be a lot of drivers making their ways through your city or state as well.
With this in mind, it’s important to make sure your WordPress site is fully responsive and loading on all mobile devices. If not, the end user will quickly close out your site and move into the next one!
More people are using mobile devices to shop online than ever before. So, if your site does not have a mobile version, you could potentially miss out on a lot of potential customers.
How to Create the Best Site for Your Business
Having a good website is an essential part of running any business nowadays. Thanks to the power of WordPress, this is now easier than ever for businesses and brands of all sizes. Even more exciting, is that there are little to no technical design skills required.
Now that you’ve seen some great examples and resources of how local businesses are using the internet and WordPress to grow their own sites, it’s time for you to do the same.
If you’re ready to build a website for your local business, but need a little help with the design aspect of it all, we’ve got you covered.