I want to share my favorite website templates for small businesses – TONIC templates using the Showit website hosting platform. Am I an affiliate? You bet I am, and it’s because I use and love their products and wholeheartedly stand behind them. Already sold? Use code “KHSENTME” for 15% off a template all the time and 20% off during sales. Otherwise, please read on for why these Showit website templates are so good!
There are a pile of reasons why you should definitely consider a Tonic template for your own website. Whether you’re a pretty new business who wants to fast-track looking legit, or a seasoned business who might not want to shell out for a custom website (that might crash your SEO), TONIC Showit website templates are a SOLID choice.
I want to apologize a little bit as this blog is on the wordier end – but that’s because I quickly realized I had a lot of things to say about what are, in my opinion, the best website templates for small business.
Best Website Templates for Small Business
Hi friends! As some of you may know, I have something new on the side…I run an SEO education business for small businesses.
One thing I see a lot from my SEO clients is that they have a very pretty website template, but it is lousy for SEO on the backend. And it sucks, because I have clients that have paid a LOT for a custom website and custom branding only to see their rankings on search engines tank. This obviously undermines the credibility as an expert they were hoping to build with their brand refresh!
Showit Website Templates
Enter TONIC Showit website templates for small business, for use with Showit. Wait, what’s that? Showit is a small business website builder that I wholeheartedly recommend, and TONIC Site Shop sells beautifully designed Showit website templates.
Why TONIC?
- Tonic sites are beautiful. Their lead designer Jen Olmstead is a freaking genius and definitely lends that je ne sais quoi that separates a basic website from a stunning one. The relief of being able to outsource your choices of font combinations is delightful. Jen also researches and stays on top of website trends, so you can feel confident that your choice of template is going to feel fresh, current, and high-end.
- Their Showit website templates are better set up for SEO than most as they have an in-house SEO expert.
- Tonic sites are set up to CONVERT. What does that mean? Well, it’s complex enough that it deserves its own section below.
Tonic sites are good for conversion
Okay, so what does it mean that a website is well set up for conversion? It means that the website template itself is set up well in order to give you a solid chance at turning the person who’s clicked on your website into a customer. How does it do that?
First, it’s set up to encourage scrolling – which means more time on your website (which search engines love and helps with SEO!), and more chances to see more of your work and your words.
Second, especially if you’re bad at words, Tonic websites are loaded with prompts at every turn. These prompts help you see where you should put information in, WHAT information to put in, while leaving you feeling confident that that information is exactly WHERE it ought to be to give your website audience with a compelling story. What’s more, with all the copy prompts, it’s easy to add more words about your business’ services on your website. And bonus, search engines love having more words so they have a better idea about what you offer.
Third, Tonic has no shortage of call-to-action canvases on its templates, along with strong suggestions with where to put said calls to action. For example, on a blog post you might not want to end with a call to book or inquire now. Why? The client has (likely) just stumbled across your blog and doesn’t know you very well. They’ll want to see your face and work more times before they are likely to trust you enough to want to buy from you. In that case, you ask for something with less commitment on their end, like a newsletter signup or a call to download a freebie so they can get to know you better! I love that Tonic website templates for small business give a lot of options for these different calls to action so that you can customize your site the way you want it.
The Downsides of a Tonic Templates
I’m going to be real with you, there are downsides to a Tonic Showit website template as well.
DIY
The blessing and curse of these website templates is that they are DIY, which can take some time out of your day. But 1) Showit is really intuitive to learn (I’ve tried out Squarespace, Wix, WordPress with Elementor, and Focal) when I was making my decision of where to have my website, and Showit was hands down the easiest user interface to learn and has absolutely top-notch customer service that has saved my butt more than once). 2) There are a pile of Showit designers who will happily take your Tonic template and customize it for you, for a price. You can head to the Tonic or Showit facebook groups and find designers ready to help!
SEO
Tonic website templates for small business are set up well for SEO, but it’s not 100%. In my three years and two templates with Tonic, I have found SEO errors in the templates to correct, and designs that look really cool but are less SEO friendly. That being said, I saw a significant gain to my pageviews and conversion rate *before* I went in and optimized for SEO purposes. So if you’re at ground zero for SEO and on the hunt for a new website, Tonic is a solid choice. If you are determined to keep your current website and want SEO help, I am here when you’re ready!
Pricey
As far as website templates go, they’re on the expensive side, and they require using Showit as your website host which is also expensive. So let’s talk sales! Tonic runs sales a couple of times a year, notably in the early fall, Black Friday, and in late spring. I do have a coupon code – KHSENTME – which will net you 15% off all the time and 20% off during sales! I have the insider deets: their Fall 2024 sale starts on October 1!
Tonic templates are also for use ONLY on the Showit website host which is one of the pricier options around, but absolutely worth the price tag in my opinion. I do have a coupon code for Showit that will get you one month free, KRISTEN.
Okay, but what does this mean for my bottom line?
Even though Tonic templates are expensive I’ve noticed such a positive difference in my business’ bottom line that I’ve actually purchased two templates for use on my website. I use a French 75 on my homepage and Family page because I feel like the clean, airy look is a better fit for clients who find me through those pages, and I use an Amaretto Sour template on my senior and graduates portfolio pages because it has more of a modern, edgy look that appeals to my younger clientele.
Tonic sites = more conversion = more clients. BUT, not just ANY clients; the BEST clients! Because Tonic is so good at helping you showcase your brand, the clients who inquire are more likely to be ones that really resonate with your work and are really excited to work with YOU, not just any old service or product provider. Tonic Showit website templates help get you your dream clients and enough inquiries to raise your rates. It’s that simple.
How do I know this? It happened to me. Check here to see my blog showing my pageview growth after implementing a Tonic site, but long story short, it caused my pageviews to skyrocket after changing from the free Showit website template included in my package, and allowed me to increase my prices with no slowdown in bookings. Why? Because my brand presence FINALLY matched the quality of service I was providing, allowing potential clients to more easily see the value of booking with me, AND that increase in pageviews widened the net enough to attract more ideal clients. It’s this three for one whammy that makes Tonic Showit website templates worth their weight in gold: they help attract ideal clients in, help convert that audience into paying clients, and help get ENOUGH inquiries that you can raise your prices and make more money – all things that a small business owner loves. I know this sounds too good to be true, but I’m not kidding in the slightest. Tonic Showit website templates for small business are totally worth it.
Kristen Hazelton is an award-winning Oak Park, IL (West Chicagoland) and Livermore, CA (San Francisco East Bay Area) graduating senior, and family photographer. She occasionally photographs in San Diego, CA, Tucson, AZ, and Seattle, WA. You can inquire about your own photoshoot here!
