If you are creating a website for a local company or business, there are some key design features you should not overlook. Especially if you want to get the most out of your website, in terms of sales and sign ups. But what are these key design features? And why should local websites use specific design features? Well, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. We work with local companies and businesses across Manchester, and the surrounding area, including Wigan and Southport. And we provide, high quality, effective, web design solutions that can help local businesses thrive. As a result, we have produced this guide to the essential web design features for local websites.
Local websites
Local websites, created for companies operating in small local areas or regions need to emphasize the locality. This is because, search engines like Google use search personalisation tools to show search results that are most relevant, or will be most helpful, to the searcher. As part of this, the current location of the user is used to provide search results for services local to the searcher. This means that your website needs to be designed with the location in mind, and fully optimized to perform well in search results.
Web design features for local websites
Creating a website that will give the most value to your website users is important. And if your company is location based, your website needs to make this clear. You should consider including:
- Landline phone number- if your shop or business has a physical presence with a landline phone, this must feature on your website. The area code will suggest your physical location instantly to website users. Of course, your mobile number is also valuable, and many users may use this to get in touch instead, but if you have the option, include both.
- A map- Most websites will include a map. It is not specific for local websites. However, for websites where the location is less of an issue, the map or address is usually an afterthought, and crammed in at the end. For local businesses though, the map is more important. And this means you should include it early on in your design phase to find the best possible way to display your physical location.
- Local images- Make your company feel like part of the local community by designing your website using local images. From your hero image to your services or product images, parts of the local area can be used to provide a good background shot, or a stand-alone visual feature. Using the appropriate alt tags and descriptions for these images will also help improve your SEO, and consequently, your search rankings.
- Dedicated area pages- if you work across a couple of different towns or regions, you could create dedicated area pages. These will help users from different places find your products and services easily.
For more information about web design and navigation, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester. Manchester’s leading web design experts.