When pursuing U.S. federal contracts, having a well-designed and informative website is crucial for small businesses. Here are 10 best practices to consider:
- Clear and Professional Design: Create a clean and professional website design that reflects your brand identity and is easy to navigate. Use a consistent color scheme, readable fonts (heading, subheading, and paragraph), and visually appealing images. With imagery, it’s always best to use your own branded images; This could be before and after pictures of your work, your team, your branded assets, etc.
- Responsive and Mobile-Friendly: Ensure your website is responsive and optimized for both mobile devices and 27″ monitors alike. Many government officials and procurement officers access websites on their smartphones or tablets, so it’s important to provide a seamless browsing experience across different screen sizes.
- Highlight Capabilities and Experience: Clearly showcase your company’s capabilities, expertise, and past performance related to federal contracts. Use case studies, success stories, and testimonials to demonstrate your value and credibility.
- Emphasize Federal Contracting Expertise: Dedicate a section of your website specifically to federal contracting. Include information about your certifications, registrations, past contracts, and any relevant partnerships or affiliations with federal agencies. On your Government Landing Page, you should also have a PDF version of your capability statement available for download.
- Compliance with Accessibility Standards: Ensure your website adheres to accessibility standards, such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. This ensures that individuals with disabilities can access and navigate your website effectively. Be sure any embedded videos display closed captioning to accommodate all audiences.
- Easy-to-Find Contact Information: Make it easy for potential clients and procurement officers to contact you by prominently displaying your contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses, and a contact form. Consider including a dedicated “Contact Us” page. You may also add a form to this page to allow a prospect to “Request a Quote”.
- Up-to-Date Content: Regularly update your website with fresh content, including news, blog posts, and articles related to federal contracting. This shows that your business is active and engaged in the industry.
- Clear Calls to Action: Use clear and compelling calls to action throughout your website to encourage visitors to take the desired actions, such as contacting you, requesting a quote, or subscribing to your newsletter.
- Secure and Trustworthy: Implement security measures such as SSL certificates to protect user data and ensure your website is safe to browse. Display trust badges, certifications, and client logos to build credibility and trust.
- SEO Optimization: Optimize your website for search engines to increase its visibility. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant terms related to federal contracting and incorporate them naturally into your website’s content, titles, meta descriptions, and headers.
Remember, these best practices are intended to provide a solid foundation for your website. You may also want to consult with a Duwel Dev professional web designer or digital marketing expert to tailor your website to your specific needs and goals.
