We've grown up hearing the adage to "never judge a book by its cover." While it has merit, how often do you base the quality of a restaurant on the first impression of its building? If a window is busted and trash is scattered along the entrance, you'd assume that the restaurant won't meet your food quality or service expectations.
A website is your digital storefront. Here's a curated list of small business website examples and tips to make sure your website complements your brand, emphasizes your credibility, and allows you to make a knockout first impression.
"Good design is good business"
— Thomas Watson Jr., businessman, second president of IBM
Related: Tackling a Website Redesign
A website — which most people recognize — is an interwoven network of pages connected underneath a single domain name. A website aids in branding your business, improving the searchability of your services, and ultimately, retaining ownership of how you talk about your business, products, and people without leaving it up to the whims of the latest social media algorithm changes. Its main purpose is usually to present information in an organized manner.
People tend to think of the web as a way to get information or perhaps as a place to carry out e-commerce. But really, the web is about accessing applications. Think of each website as an application, and every single click, every single interaction with that site, is an opportunity to be on the very latest version of that application.
― Marc Andreessen, Co-author of Mosaic, the first widely used web browser
On the other hand, a web application is a program or software accessible via a web browser. A user can interact with various functions that the software provides - searching and adding products to a shopping cart, browsing and posting content, or collaborating with others to perform various functions. Its main purpose goes beyond presenting information - web applications enable users to create, manage, store, and distribute information.
A website is a presentation. In comparison, a web application is more complex and depends on the interaction of its end users (thus requiring a more sophisticated user base). And the two often work hand in hand - websites often have web applications built into them, such as administrative functions, while web applications usually have a website to attract new users. Common web applications include Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook, and Instagram.
“Websites promote you 24/7: No employee will do that.”
―Paul Cookson, Author and Editor
For a more in-depth comparison of a website vs. a web application, check out the various aspects in this side-by-side table:
| Feature | Business Website | Web Application |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Information dissemination | Task execution or data manipulation |
| Interactivity | Limited | High |
| Functionality | Primarily static content | Dynamic and interactive features |
| User Experience | Navigational, one-way | Interactive, two-way communication |
| Data Input | Basic contact forms | Extensive data entry, forms, and inputs |
| Data Processing | Minimal processing | Extensive data processing and computations |
| User Roles | Limited user roles | Multiple user roles with different access |
| Database Interaction | Limited or no database usage | Extensive database interaction and storage |
| Updates | Periodic content updates | Frequent feature updates and bug fixes |
| Complexity | Relatively simple | Can be highly complex and scalable |
| Examples | Company website, blog | Project management tool, e-commerce site |
Please note that these are general characteristics, and there can be variations and overlaps depending on the specific implementation and purpose of the company website or web application.
Related: Web Development Services In USA
A Guide to Building Small Business Websites at An Affordable Cost
While you DO need a website, you don’t need every feature that every of these business website examples could have. Carefully considering and curating what to include in your website project plan is the best way to manage budget and scope, and to avoid a hefty price tag with a long list of features you might never need anyway. We've compiled a list of six things to consider to build a great small business website.
Related: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Building a Website or App (or Business)
Is Your Website Slowing You Down? Are potential customers bouncing before they even see your amazing products or services? You're not alone! This free guide will be your one-stop shop for transforming your website's speed and user experience.
Regardless of what stage your startup or small business is in, a recognizable domain increases your brand awareness. Your website's domain should match your business, be easy to remember, and compliment your overall mission. Remember, it's your digital storefront, and your domain is the name on your building.
Here are a few key reminders when you choose your website domain:
Related: What Are The Most Common Web Development Services
After deciding on your website's domain, next comes selecting a hosting option that best fits your small business needs and can grow with you. If the website is your ‘storefront’, think of your hosting provider as your leasing agreement. It's essential to know your options and the amount of storage, speed, and ongoing backups each hosting option will allow your website.
Related: Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting vs. VPS Hosting
The next piece to consider is your website's CMS (Content Management System) platform, which allows you to build a website, make changes, or add content to your website without requiring you to write code.
A few of the top CMS platforms include:
Although 43% of all websites use WordPress, it requires developer support and maintenance, so it may not be the best option for you and your team. Beyond pricing, a few things for you to consider should be how easy the CMS platform is for your team to use and whether or not the platform connects to any extensions for applications you need to integrate on your site.
You can use rapid prototyping to validate you assumptions, before building a small business website. Rapid prototyping is s basically a build-test-learn cycle that can help you visualize what a website or an application will look like.
“Focus on the core problem your business solves and put out lots of content and enthusiasm and ideas about how to solve that problem.”
―Laura Fitton, founder of Twitter app store and co-author of "Twitter for Dummies"
4. Small business website design: Create a clean and engaging User Interface for your small business website
When it comes to small business website design, the User Interface (UI) is the fun part. It's what most of us imagine when we talk about creating a website. It's the connection of ideas and imagery into a virtual experience for your visitors.
While a great UI can help convert visitors into customers, if done incorrectly, it can also quickly turn off users, making them leave your site before giving your services a chance. You only have seconds to make a great first impression. If your site is too hard to read, loads too slowly, or is awkward to navigate and hard to find the flow of information, you risk losing visitors.
“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”
―Antoine De-Saint Exupery, Writer
The User Interface for your small business website should include these best practices:
SEO optimization isn't a buzzword. Continuing with the storefront analogy, optimizing your website content SEO is comparable to making all the other external elements work in your favor for your business. From ample parking to a well-lit street sign to roads that are inviting and easy to navigate, SEO optimization helps visitors get off the highway at the right exit to find you. Do it right, and your storefront could land on a busy thoroughfare with loads of walk-by traffic.
The quick SEO optimization checklist for small business websites includes:
"Good website practice and optimizing for conversion usually makes for good search engine optimization. These work together to ensure you drive quality traffic and can persuade that traffic to help you meet your business goals."
— Marc Ostrofsky, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur
Related: The Complete SEO Checklist for 2022
Installing tracking codes (Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Hotjar, Ahrefs, etc.) to your site is the best way to eliminate the guesswork for gathering data about who is coming to your site, how long they spend with your content, and what potential site errors you can fix.
One of the most popular digital analytics software options, Google Analytics, allows you to study your website users, collect data, and create reports—for free!
Related: Conducting a UX Audit in 7 Steps, Benefits, and a Checklist for 2024
The work on your website doesn't end after you hit the publish button. Just as a brick-and-mortar business requires maintenance, your website also requires ongoing maintenance. It's an ongoing investment to maintain your website's domain authority and searchability, create new information that improves the experience of your visitors, and, ultimately, conduct regular security updates to protect your website and customers from hackers and cybercriminals.
“We continuously try new platforms, approaches, and content types. We’re constantly rewriting and rewording. And we don’t get bogged down by the weight of our tasks – we JUST DO IT. That means you put yourself out there, say what you want to say, accept that you won’t say it perfectly, then move on to the next one. There will always be the opportunity to come back and revisit a piece of content, especially if it starts to get some attention.”
― Andrew Greenstein, CEO of SF AppWorks
WISR is a financial technology company that empowers people to make smart financial decisions. The website is one of the most interactive custom example websites, using animated elements and gamification to create an engaging atmosphere as you scroll and a flyout menu that overtakes the screen to organize the site's products and company information.
Scott's Cheap Flights is one of the best small business website examples. It highlights a membership-based subscription service to help people find cheap flights to travel the world. The website, made with Webflow, uses clear language to capture users' attention with simple graphics to complement the process of signing up for an account.
Tattly is one of the most eye-candy small business website examples, created with Shopify; it uses high-quality photography to highlight the colors and characteristics of each product in an Instagram-worthy layout. Tattly is an e-commerce platform that sells temporary tattoos and vinyl stickers from renowned artists and designers worldwide.
Puffin Packaging offers temperature-insulated, eco-friendly packaging for shipping food and pharmaceuticals. The website, built on Wix, uses short animations with icons to create an engaging environment and places how to contact above the fold, making chatting with the company simple.
Related: E-commerce Services Provider in USA
Velasca's small business website (built on Shopify) features a collection of men’s handcrafted Italian leather shoes and accessories like wallets, belts, and bags. Using a full-width business website design, gorgeous animations, and a classy color scheme, the website cohesively communicates the brand and the products of this Italian business.
The Rafael is a property website that features a soothing color scheme and a smart use of a homepage with minimal copy, memorable imagery, and playful highlighting of essential information.
This is a great example of a one-page website created with WordPress that achieves what many competitors drop the ball on—simplicity and a seamless user experience.
Oxalis Adventure's small business website highlights animated banners that welcome adventure seekers. The website is simultaneously digestible and pleasing for their target market and is another place of simplistic, yet tasteful design decisions.
Soundstripe is an online store that sells royalty-free Multimedia files. The website makes it easy for the user to find their preferred media category. Plus, the aesthetic of this small business website design is simple and attractive. It's made with Webflow, one of our favorite website builders.
Created with Zyro, Moment Skis is an e-commerce platform that deals in skiing equipment and distributes them worldwide. The high resolution images of skiing equipment with unique designs make this small business website stunning.
Ivory and Deene's small business website is created with Shopify highlighting unique furniture and stunning decorative items inspired from the Tasmanian culture.
Using rewards as a sort of basic gamification and email marketing campaigns to promote its brand, Ivory and Deene keeps the visitors engaged with its content.
In the space of vehicle technology services, Ception is one of the most beautiful small business website examples. Built on Wix, this corporate website uses a color scheme, brand logo, gradients, and technology-infused images that perfectly represent its services.
Visitors are transported into the futuristic world of AI. The power of the scroll is evident here — when done appropriately, it functions as the driving force behind a successful web design.
Featuring a color scheme inspired by the Mediterranean region, Frantoio Cavalli's business website plays around with orange, red hues of salsas, and olive-green. The imagery is soothing and pairs wonderfully with the product packaging.
Using a bright color palette, a minimal copy, and high-resolution photos, Picto Watches website, created with Magento, reflects exactly what the brand is all about: boldness and positivity.
The minimalist web design combines the use of white space with big, bold photos that highlight the personality of this inspiring brand.
Made with Wordpress, 4RiversSmokehouse plays around with mouth watering imagery that immediately captures visitors' attention. We also love the cool parallax scroll effect for when you move about the page, which incorporates subtle animations and a hover effect on the CTAs.
Some of the best small business websites have specific niches, just like this impeccably designed platform. Andersson Wise is focused on a collaborative approach to design – their design method begins by working closely with their client to understand the written and unwritten program and the complexities of the site.
Sophie Ratner specializes in creating stunning, unique pendants; their creations are a celebration of the way today’s women work, play, move and embrace all aspects of life. This e-commerce website (made with Shopify) features a muted color palette and is extremely easy to navigate.
What's the first thing to highlight, as a video production business website? A well cut and interesting video right at the top of the homepage, of course!
The portfolio section of Artex Productions' WordPress website is particularly inventive, playing around with grid line organized stills to grab the attention.
Created with Shopify, Silk and Willow’s website features high-resolution images of all products needed to make the wedding day magical. The font choice perfectly pairs with the majestic feel of a luxurious wedding.
19. Daily Doodle Art, one of the best small business websites examples built with Zyro
As for the The Daily Doodle, you can tell by their homepage that the business was started with passion. The founder – Chelsea describes how the business began as the simple concept of bringing joy to others through accessible art. The website stands out due to the minimalist design and the monochrome color palette.
Looking for some inspiration from a real estate business website? Entrance is made with Webflow and benefits from the subtle animations and the hover effects that made this website builder so popular.
With a horizontally sliding deck of standout fullscreen photographies, the stunning imagery is the center of this website design.
Jcpportraits.com, made with Salesforce, features their portfolio right in the hero section of the homepage, together with a vast amount of products and options. The visitors can easily find a specific category by accessing the main top navigation bar, while a second sidebar gives options within the category.
At the intersection of delightful animations and neumorphism, C-HM is not just another Wordpress website. The smart choice of typography, the fluid transitions, and the minimalist color scheme are on pair with the services that this French accounting firm offers.
A cool example of how powerful gamification can be in terms of engaging users like never before (80% more engaging than text or video alone), Wannabe Toys included a fun 3D game on their homepage. A magnificent choice for a Webflow online store that sells action figures from movies and manga.
One of the most remarkable small business website examples, Cesarsway is built with Wordpress and belongs to the world renowned dog behaviorist Cesar Millan. We instantly became pack's fans when we explored the high-resolutions photos, the contrast between the intro text and the headings, and the fresh copy.
Need even more inspiration? Check out these lesser-known small business website examples that prioritize user experience by implementing intuitive navigation, interactive elements, personalized features, and seamless functionality to create a remarkable and engaging online experience for their visitors.
Small Business Websites | How Much is Bad Web Design Costing You?
Whatever stage you are in with your business, an up-to-date, well-designed website is not something you should overlook because it will damage your credibility.
For example, 97 percent of users search online before making a purchase, meaning your site must be easy to find. Stanford's web credibility index reveals that 75 percent of consumers admit they judge a business's credibility based on its website design alone. That damage to your credibility will translate to fewer customers and sales, which means lost revenue — all from the first impression of your website.
“Sometimes you have to experiment with a lot of ideas and see which one sticks. If you’re unsure, let the market decide.”
― Dorie Clark, American author and executive education professor at Duke University
However, beyond the negative impact to your potential customers, a bad website can leave business owners in an even worse situation:
Related: Website Horror Stories
Taking Small Business Websites to The Next Level
You can't fulfill your mission and build your business without a great website. Luckily, we know what it takes to make a good first impression. From SEO optimization and compelling content to stunning visuals and mobile responsive design, we can help you take your small business website to the next level. We build websites from scratch to launch, or we can work to modify or optimize existing websites or website templates. We’ll help you create a unique, effective digital experience.
“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.”
― Milton Glaser, American Graphic Designer
Using agile methodology and iterative development, our award-winning team gives you an unparalleled visual product and the best website experience you've ever had.
Founded in 2012 with more than 10 Million users interacting with our websites and apps monthly, SF AppWorks has helped early-stage startups, small businesses, and large enterprises use cutting-edge technology to increase engagement and grow.
We love partnering with curious entrepreneurs eager to develop and harness interesting and useful technologies that can improve people's lives and help solve the world's problems.
Whether you have one idea or several, we'd love to discuss what's possible.
Let's build something great together.