Most people running their own small businesses want to make them look bigger. After all, big is better, right? Well, not necessarily. It turns out that small companies tend to have a few advantages over their larger rivals. They tend to have more personality, more flavor and better reflect the people working in them.

It’s these traits that customers seem to love. They like the fact that they’ve got these qualities. And as a result, businesses shouldn’t be afraid to show them off on their website. Bredin Business Information from Massachusetts helps companies market themselves to other companies. It recommends that small businesses include things on their website that actually show off what they’re about and who they are. Yes, they should do all the usual stuff, like make their sites fast and responsive. But they should also inject a little spark and a little life into them as well.

Most startups have an interesting back story or a funky way in which they do business. Perhaps you’re a college grad, for instance, and your ecommerce startup is based out of your bedroom. Or maybe you’re a married couple sharing a single home office in an apartment somewhere. These little details are great to include in the “About us” section of your website. Stories like these are especially inspiring when you chronicle how you have progressed. A humble beginnings story always goes down well.

The reason for this is that people want a business with a bit of character. They’re tired of companies that start with a big venture capital investment and then outsource their marketing to a third party. It’s what everybody does, and it’s boring. Small business owners can leverage this fact to their advantage and do something a little more exciting on their websites. For instance, a creative-type designer could include a photo of himself curled up on the sofa with his pet dog. Attorneys will need to think a little harder.

The key here is to make sure that you’re telling your story online. Talk about who the individual people in your team are, and why their presence is necessary. If you don’t, then your customers will wonder whether they should buy from a firm about which they know little.

The experts are clear on what your site should offer customers. Here’s what they suggest:

Clear Guidance On Your Process

When a customer arrives at your site, sometimes it’s not immediately apparent what they should do. Often, you’ll need to include signposts to put the client on the right path. If you’re an ecommerce company, you’ll need clear instructions on how to checkout and your shipping costs. You’ll also need to tell customers about the status of their order and whether it’s been dispatched.

Getting your website to do all these things by yourself is next to impossible. That’s why most businesses choose a custom software development company to do it for them. These companies are able to combine the best of both worlds. They help to make your site super intuitive and convenient. And they also customize your on-site processes to suit your business. There’s nothing worse for your customers than being shoehorned through a generic web app that isn’t fit for purpose.

Clear Calls To Action

For years, small businesses have been taught that their website is just a place clients go to snoop on them. Most of their business, they are told, is the result of word of mouth. Clients only bother to visit their sites once they’ve already heard about the firm.

This advice has meant that many small businesses don’t bother trying to drive sales through their websites. Instead, their sites are stale encyclopedias of their products and services.

Often there are no calls to action. Or if there are, they are limited in their impact. And as a result, the website becomes next to useless.

Customers want clear and distinct calls to action. They need to know what they should do next. Buttons that say things like “Sign Up” for a newsletter, or “Buy Now” on a product page are typical examples. Remember, on your website; you’ve got a captive audience. So do whatever you can to grab them with both hands.

Secure Socket Layer

Having a secure socket layer is imperative for online businesses. It’s a security measure that encrypts any sensitive information customers transmit to your firm. For instance, if you’re an ecommerce business, SSL encrypts customer’s credit card information.

Most clients are now savvy about SSL. They might not know it by name. But they do know that they should only transmit sensitive data when they see the padlock icon in their browser. If they don’t see this for your site, it’s very easy for them to switch over to another supplier. Be proactive and get SSL installed on your site as soon as possible if you haven’t already. This shows your customers that you are concerned about their online security and builds trust.

Clearly Define What Your Company Offers

Have you ever been to a corporate website and spent ages working out what it is that they actually sell? The answer is probably, yes. There are thousands of companies, mainly B2B, that aren’t upfront about what they do. It’s something Alice Bredin of Bredin Business Information has noticed. Many sites, according to her, don’t make it clear what the company offers. What you do should be the priority on your homepage, she says.

For service-oriented companies, striking the right balance on a website can be difficult. Many service-based companies don’t want to divulge what they’re doing for competitive reasons. And they also don’t want to tell customers everything about their product. Otherwise, they worry that customers won’t call them to find out more.

The advice from the experts here is that businesses need to strike a balance. Many analysts believe that most companies should include product information. Why? Well, it’s because customers usually don’t ring up to find out more. Instead, they just move on to the next business that does offer product information.