UX/UI Design for Small Business Websites: 10 Rules

UX vs UI – What’s the difference?

• UX (User Experience) – how the site works and how easily the user can achieve their goal
• UI (User Interface) – how the site looks

Good UX > beautiful UI. A beautiful but difficult-to-use site loses customers.

10 Rules for Small Businesses

1. One clear goal per page Every page must answer the question: "What do I want the visitor to do here?" Call? Order? Read?

2. CTA button at the top and bottom "Contact Us" should be visible from the first second. Repeat it every 2–3 screens.

3. Visible pricing If you hide prices, you lose 60% of potential customers who don't want to go through the hassle of requesting a quote.

4. Maximum 3 fonts One for headings, one for body text, and if necessary, one for accents. More = chaos.

5. Contrast must be at least 4.5:1 WCAG AA standard. Grey text on a grey background might look nice, but it's unreadable.

6. Mobile-first 70% of web traffic is on mobile. Design from mobile to desktop, not the other way around.

7. Loading speed < 2.5 seconds Every second costs you customers. Large images and videos are the biggest culprits for slowdowns.

8. Social proof Logos, reviews, and customer counts. Not stock photos – real customers.

9. Clear navigation A maximum of 7 menu items. Hamburger menus should be for mobile only.

10. Error prevention, not just error messages Form fields should provide real-time feedback, not just after the "Send" button is clicked.

Most Common Mistakes

• "Welcome to our website!" in the hero text (it provides zero information)
• 5 different CTA buttons on the same screen
• Carousel sliders that nobody watches
• Pop-ups appearing immediately upon entering the site
• "Read more" links instead of specific actions

Summary

UX/UI is not graphic art – it is a business tool. Measure conversion, not beauty.