BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT These days, the majority of web visits occur not on desktop computers but on smartphones. So if you’re not regularly looking at your site on a mobile device, you’re pretty much blind to what your average user actually experiences. If you want smartphone users to have a good time on your website – and more to the point, if you want to make it easy for them to place orders and submit enquiries – then put yourself in their shoes and see what the journey from homepage to checkout actually looks like on a mobile device. Pay particular attention to the following: Navigation menus On a full-size computer screen, you’ve got the luxury of a nice wide header banner that can accommodate multiple drop-down menus with links to each and every part of your website. On a phone screen, space is much more limited. Your mobile menu should be streamlined and easy to use, but it shouldn’t be so slimmed down that important pages are rendered inaccessible to smartphone users. Top-of-screen content If you’re not used to looking at your website on a phone, you might be surprised to see how little of each page’s content is actually visible without scrolling down. So make sure the absolute topmost segment of each page offers a good first impression – and if there’s some key info or a specific product that you want every user to see, make sure it’s positioned as close to the top of the page as possible. Even a single introductory sentence can be enough to push the ‘meat’ of your page down quite significantly. Placement of clickable elements Buttons and links that you want users to click on should be reasonably big, with plenty of space between them. Small, tightly packed links make life difficult for people who are using a touchscreen instead of a mouse. Checkout process Making a purchase on a smartphone can be a bit fiddly, especially if the website expects you to type in your delivery address and credit card number manually. Run through the checkout process on your own mobile device, look for ‘pain points’ and consider how the journey could be made easier. For example, could you offer a greater variety of payment options? How about a postcode look-up tool? Maybe a ‘guest checkout’ option that eliminates the need to register an account? Anything that reduces the amount of scrolling, tapping and typing required to complete an order will almost certainly be appreciated by mobile users. When did you last viewyour website on a phone? Solving the skills challenge For small businesses, finding the right people is only part of the skills challenge. Training existing staff, recruiting apprentices and building stronger links with schools and colleges can all help to fill skills gaps and make a business more efficient. But often, doing any of that is more difficult than it shouldbe. Small firms are already investing heavily in their people. Our research found that 84% of small business employers provided training for existing staff in the past year. But as employment costs and tax bills rise, that investment is becoming harder to sustain. Almost a third of small employers have already cut their training budgets because of higher taxes. That is a shame, because training is one of the most practical ways a business can become more productive, adapt to new technology and give employees the chance to progress. But when budgets are squeezed, it is easy for training to be postponed. The government can help change that. An SME Training Tax Credit, covering 20% of eligible training costs with an accredited provider, would make it easier for firms to keep investing in their workforce. A national network of sector skills groups could also help employers navigate the huge range of courses and providers and find training that genuinely meets their needs. We also need to make apprenticeships easier for smaller employers. Small firms are particularly important in giving young people their first opportunity at work, and four out of five businesses that recruited apprentices in the past three years hired someone aged between 16 and 24. But taking on an apprentice still brings costs, paperwork and demands on management time that can be especially difficult for a small employer to absorb. Better support from training providers and apprenticeship brokerage services, matching businesses with potential apprentices in their area, could bring many more firms into the system. There is similar untapped potential in the relationship between businesses and education. Many small firms want to work with schools and colleges but need a simpler way in. A dedicated matchmaking service could give employers a clear point of contact, while a one-off payment for businesses offering their first work experience placement would help cover some of the cost involved. Small businesses know the skills they need and, in many cases, are already investing time and money to develop them. A skills system that is simpler to navigate and easier to afford could bring untold benefits to our economy. www.images-magazine.com OCTOBER 2026 images 25 JoelDear is from ETrader, one of the industry’s leading suppliers of websites to garment decorators across the UK. www.etraderwebsites.co.uk Tina McKenzieis the national chair at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), whichoffers members a wide range of vital business services, including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in government. www.fsb.org.uk When budgets are squeezed, it’s easy to postpone training
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