In this digital age we’re living in, it is imperative for business owners to establish a presence online. While social media is a viable tool you should definitely be using, creating a business website is even more important.
Your website should give its visitors a solid understanding of who you are, the work you do, and why they should choose you to work with. Want to know how to get those points across in a way that will stick?
Keep reading. We’ve got you covered.
Whether you are working on your website independently or with a web designer, you should know what makes a business website effective. If you include these 10 elements, your site will be a success:
Did you know that it takes roughly 50 milliseconds for a visitor to decide whether they like your website and want to stay on it? With snap judgments being made this way, you can’t afford to waste your homepage.
The best way to use this page is to make it as impressive as possible. All elements, including:
need to be made perfectly clear. Visitors shouldn’t have to guess what your business is or why it’s important.
People don’t spend long amounts of time on websites that load slowly or are difficult to navigate. They often leave the site out of frustration and decide that they don’t like the company the site represents.
To simplify your website:
These little adjustments make a world of difference in the way people view a company.
The internet has made it possible for consumers to learn about businesses without spending a dollar or having to leave their homes. Chances are if someone has made it onto your website, they are in the research phase before making a purchase.
They might compare you to your competition to see who offers the best deal, who has the best quality, or who has the best product. With that in mind, you need to work extra hard to prove that you are the better choice.
You can do so by including client testimonials and reviews on your website. And if they’re available, cases studies and a portfolio of your previous work will also help establish your credibility and expertise.
Even if a person doesn’t choose to make a purchase during their first visit to your site, it’s highly likely that they will return. This is especially true if you have their email address on file.
Email marketing increases conversion rates. In fact, one study showed that 80% of retail professionals indicated email marketing as their most successful way of retaining customers. While another showed that customers who make purchases after receiving an email spend 138% more money than those who don’t.
So, how can you grow your email list? Give potential customers something for free. For instance, you can offer an e-book that has to be sent via email before they can download it.
Get creative with your email campaigns and try out new options to grow your email list.
According to a Nielsen study, 79% of internet users scan web pages. So in order for people and search engines to like your website, you need to make sure the data on it is scannable.
You can easily do this by using some simple styling techniques such as:
Also, don’t forget that photographs and videos are very important design elements. They bring life to a page and they are a great way to break up your content.
Not only that, articles with accompanying images get 94% more page views than those that don’t.
When you track conversion rates on your website, you’re able to see how marketing efforts are performing. Having this level of understanding will allow you to continuously improve your techniques with time.
But that isn’t all. Tracking your conversions will also give you a clear indicator of how much money it’s costing you to acquire new visitors.
If someone is on your website and they are interested in the next steps to buy your product or service, don’t make it hard for them. Create a clear visible call to action.
The wording you use will vary based on your business. But here are some examples:
You can also use your contact numbers or email as a call to action. This will give customers an opportunity to contact your customer service or sales departments without leaving your website.
There are various search engine optimization (SEO) techniques you can employ to help your website rank high in search engines like Google. Ranking high on Google gets you on the first page of users’ search results.
A position on the first page will increase visits to your website and also help boost your conversion rates. It’s very rare that people move beyond the first page when they complete a search. So even if you’re number one on the second page, it isn’t a good enough position.
You should make it a goal to have your content shared on social media. When someone shares something from your site, you’re essentially receiving free exposure to the people on their friends’ lists.
Make it easy for people to share your work by placing share buttons on pages throughout your website.
People search the web while they’re out and about, waiting in the doctors’ office and things like that. Because we are more mobile, you need to make your website accessible for mobile devices as well.
Keep the design and branding elements of your mobile site in line with the desktop version. And if it makes sense for your business, you should also consider creating an app.
We understand that designing and running your business website requires a ton of work. And if you’re already running a company, who’s to say you have the time and energy to dedicate to web design and including all these elements?
That’s what we’re here for! Contact us, we’re glad to help out.
