As a small business owner, it is imperative to have an online presence in order to compete with other businesses in your industry. In fact, over 80% of consumers research a business online before making a purchase. Without a website, you risk losing potential customers to your competitors who do have an online presence.
To help you create your own website, we have compiled a list of 20 of the best small business website examples across various industries such as fashion, home goods, and food. For each example, we will describe its design choices and provide factors to keep in mind when building your own website. Whether you are just starting out or looking to revamp your current website, these small business website examples can serve as inspiration for your own site design.
20 Best Small Business Website Examples in 2024
If you are looking for inspiration for your small business website, you have come to the right place. We have compiled a list of 20 of the best small business websites that can help you get an idea of how to design your website based on your target audience. Each website example features a different business type, so you can find one that matches your industry.
1. Clothing Store – La Petite Alice
La Petite Alice is a handmade linen clothing and accessories store based in Lithuania. The website features an earthy brown and beige color palette that aligns with the brand’s commitment to slow living, growing alongside nature, and sustainability. The homepage has clickable images and product sliders leading to different product pages, making it easy for customers to find and purchase items.
2. Fitness Center – Movement LAB
Movement LAB is a boutique fitness studio based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The website provides all the important information on the homepage, including the address, the registration process and CTA button, pricing packages, coaches, and contact information. The website emphasizes the effectiveness of training in small groups, providing private and semi-private training sessions led by coaches specializing in various exercises.
3. Home Goods Shop – Little Karma Co.
Little Karma Co. provides vegan, clean-burning, and environmentally friendly candles. The website has strong branding and uses various ways to promote its products on its homepage, like listing why people should love the brand and ways to personalize their candles. Additionally, it displays quotes from the press and customer testimonials to increase brand credibility.
4. Brewery – Sureshot Brewing
Sureshot Brewing is a Manchester-based brand that provides high-quality beer in small batches. The website displays a hero image featuring a glass of beer and the brand name in large white text, creating a clean and minimalist design that showcases the main product. Under the brand name, a CTA button leading to the shop page catches people’s attention with its color-changing animation.
5. Beauty and Skincare Brand – SOLIDU
SOLIDU is a Lithuanian solid beauty product online store. The website features product photos that change when a cursor hovers over them, allowing site visitors to quickly see how the products look outside and inside the packaging without navigating to individual pages. The brand emphasizes eco-friendliness through low-waste products and compostable packaging.
6. Artist – Ine Agresta
Ine Agresta is an Uruguayan artist, designer, and maker formally trained in fashion and textile design. The website serves as both a virtual portfolio and an online shop selling art pieces like soft sculptures, recycled paper art, ceramics, and prints. The shop page features a drop-down menu, sorting items based on popularity, rating, price, or time posted, helping customers quickly find items they are interested in.
7. Fetish Furniture Store – BDSM Architecture
BDSM Architecture specializes in custom-made fetish furniture, offering products such as cages, benches, and restraints. The website has a full-screen video background that creates an immersive site-browsing experience while excellently demonstrating how to use its products. The large white text overlaid on the video summarizes the business simply and concisely, making it clear to visitors what the brand is all about at first glance.
8. Ironwork Shop – Gate Foot Forge
Gate Foot Forge is an artist blacksmith and knifemaker based in the UK. The website features a sticky navigation bar that stays visible as potential clients scroll down, letting them visit other pages without scrolling up. The homepage also shows a photo of the artist along with a short description, boosting credibility and helping people learn about the person behind the business.
9. Off-Grid Power Store – Climbingvan
Climbingvan offers off-grid electrical system products like batteries, solar panels, and chargers. The website features product sliders with different categories, showing high-quality photos of products along with their price and stock status. Product sliders allow people to quickly browse available items and see if the online store has what they need without going to other pages.
10. Photographer – Simone Dicosta
Simone Dicosta is a formally trained photographer specializing in architecture, commercial, and corporate photography. The professional website sports a minimalist layout with plenty of white space and a simple grayscale color scheme, letting his colorful photos be the center of attention. Dicosta’s contact details are also immediately visible upon first accessing the site, so visitors don’t have to scroll far down the homepage to figure out how to get in touch.
11. Coffee Brand – Progeny Coffee
Progeny Coffee strives to provide high-quality coffee while fixing the broken coffee industry. The website features a clean and minimalist design, making it easy for visitors to find the information they need. The homepage displays the brand’s story, the
What Makes a Great Small Business Website
A great small business website is one that is designed to attract and retain customers. It should be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and provide relevant information to visitors. Here are some of the most important factors that make a good small business website:
- Responsive Design: A responsive or mobile-friendly website is crucial for small businesses as it ensures that the website is easily accessible on all devices, including mobile phones and tablets. This not only improves user experience but also helps to rank higher in search engine results pages, driving more organic traffic to the website.
- Relevant Domain Name: A reliable domain registrar can help you buy a custom domain that is the same as your business name. This makes it easier for customers to find your website. You can also purchase close alternatives to your domain name to ensure they also lead to your website.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Understanding SEO is integral to learning how to sell online. The best SEO practices help your website rank high on search engine results pages. These strategies include researching and incorporating keywords and writing image alt text.
- Fast Website Load Time: The probability of people leaving a website increases the longer it takes to load. To improve site load time, find the right web hosting and use a content delivery network (CDN).
- Clutter-Free and User-Friendly Design: Avoid crowding the site with too many elements. Include only essential information, avoid a flashy color palette, and provide intuitive navigation. This ensures that visitors can easily find what they are looking for.
- Visible Contact Details: Display your contact information above the fold. This is especially important for small businesses that rely on customers making appointments.
- Accurate Information: Before publishing new content or updates, proofread them for accuracy and quality. Avoid grammatical errors, replace outdated data, and cite credible sources.
- CTA Buttons: Strategically placed call-to-action (CTA) buttons encourage site visitors to buy a product or sign up for a newsletter. These buttons are one of the essential design elements of a business website.
- About Section: The about section tells visitors of your small business website all about what your company does and the people behind it. Including photos of you or your team can help establish a personal connection with visitors.
By incorporating these factors into your small business website, you can attract and retain customers, improve your online visibility, and ultimately grow your business.
Conclusion
In conclusion, having a website for your small business is crucial for increasing exposure, sales, and credibility. Researching the best site-building tools and resources is important, but looking at various small business websites can also provide valuable insights on how to make a website.
If you’re struggling to pick design examples to learn from, consider checking out the best small business websites recommended by experts. Movement LAB, Little Karma Co., Progeny Coffee, Boston Tattoo Company, and Music Villa all have unique and effective web design strategies that can inspire and guide your own website development.
Remember that setting up an online store or a good business website can significantly improve your chances of success, regardless of the industry you choose to pursue. By utilizing effective web design and marketing strategies, you can captivate potential customers, enhance your business credibility, and foster brand loyalty and fondness.
Good luck on your website-building journey!
Small Business Website Examples FAQ
How to Build a Small Business Site With a Website Builder?
Building a small business site with a website builder is an easy process. Start by selecting a reliable website builder for small businesses and choose one of the pre-designed website templates. Then, customize the design using the editor and create the essential pages. The essential pages include the homepage, about, contact, legal, and product pages.
It is important to add visual elements such as images, custom graphics, subtle animations, and videos. Once you finish customizing your small business website, publish it.
What is the Cost of Building a Small Business Website?
The cost of building a small business website varies depending on the tools and resources used and the amount of outside help required. If you build the website yourself using ready-made resources, you can spend around $100-$500. However, if you hire professionals to create one, expect to spend thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.
To keep costs low, consider using a website builder that offers affordable plans with all the necessary features for your small business website. Additionally, you can opt for a DIY approach by using free website builders and open-source content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.
By following these tips, you can build a small business website that is both effective and affordable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the essential aspects of a successful small business website?
A successful small business website should have the following key elements:
- Clear and concise messaging
- User-friendly navigation
- Mobile responsiveness
- High-quality images and videos
- Fast loading speed
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Contact information and calls to action (CTAs)
How can small businesses leverage their websites to attract more customers?
Small businesses can use their websites to attract more customers by implementing the following strategies:
- Creating valuable and relevant content that addresses the needs of their target audience
- Utilizing social media to promote their website and engage with potential customers
- Offering promotions and discounts to incentivize visitors to make a purchase
- Implementing email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and increase conversions
- Utilizing customer reviews and testimonials to build trust and credibility
What are some cost-effective strategies for building a small business website?
Small businesses can build a cost-effective website by implementing the following strategies:
- Utilizing website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress
- Utilizing free or low-cost website templates
- Outsourcing to freelance web designers or developers
- Utilizing open-source software such as Joomla or Drupal
What are the best practices for designing a small business website that stands out?
To design a small business website that stands out, small business owners should follow these best practices:
- Utilize a clean and modern design
- Utilize high-quality images and videos to showcase products or services
- Use contrasting colors to make important elements stand out
- Implement clear and concise messaging
- Utilize whitespace to improve readability and user experience
- Ensure the website is mobile responsive
- Implement SEO best practices to improve search engine rankings
How can small business owners ensure their website is user-friendly and accessible?
Small business owners can ensure their website is user-friendly and accessible by implementing the following strategies:
- Utilizing clear and concise messaging
- Utilizing a clean and modern design
- Implementing user-friendly navigation
- Ensuring the website is mobile responsive
- Utilizing alt tags for images to improve accessibility for visually impaired users
- Ensuring the website is compliant with accessibility guidelines such as WCAG 2.1
What are the common mistakes to avoid when creating a website for a small business?
Small business owners should avoid the following common mistakes when creating a website:
- Overcomplicating the design or navigation
- Failing to optimize the website for mobile devices
- Neglecting to implement SEO best practices
- Failing to include clear and concise messaging
- Failing to include contact information or calls to action
- Neglecting to test the website for usability and accessibility