Having a strong website design is a must if you want to build a successful business in today’s market. If you are just creating your website there are certain features that you should include to grow your business. There are some things that all good websites have in common, regardless of the industry. Your company’s site needs to be positioned online as a strong professional place where customers can easily find what they are looking for. You want to give a positive first impression to motivate people to choose your business over the competition. Does your website convey the image that you want for your brand? Below are several suggestions of what needs to be included when you are designing a site for your business.
The Basics
- Domain name
- Easy Navigation
- Images
- Logos
- Reliable Hosting
- Good design
- Clean Code
Mobile Version of your website
Research shows that 57 percent of mobile users will leave your site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Mobile friendly websites rank higher in Google, without one your search ranking may decrease because they can’t find you on their smartphone. Having a mobile friendly site gives customers quick access so you need to include a phone number, contract form, hours of operation, and menu choices.
Easy Navigation
Clear links to the most important pages is critical when designing your website. You navigation should be clearly laid out, dropdowns in the menu are helpful for customers trying to find specific content on your site. You should make it extremely easy for customers to find what they are looking for and what you want them to know about your company.
Friendly Design
You want to enhance the users experience by making sure it is clearly organized for current content. You should break long content down into paragraphs with subheadings. Using bullet points and links makes important information standout to the user. It is recommended that using basic colors and remaining simple will allow a visitor to focus on the content.
Fresh Content
Your website is often the first interaction that you have with a potential client so you want to give them what they are looking for by using new content. If you have blogs they should be regularly updated for SEO purposes and linked to social media sites. Make your content stand out by using catchy headlines and remember to incorporate keywords in your posts.
Customer Testimonials
If you want to stand out from the competition, you should include testimonials from previous customers to add to your credibility. If the person is unfamiliar with the services or products you offer it will help them build trust in your company. Customer testimonials offer an emotional appeal, which often attracts and engages potential clients by making them feel a connection to your business.
Contact Information
This is the most important part of a website, but it is often overlooked. You should have contact information including a phone number and email address on every page. The entire purpose of your site is to attract customer and offer them a service. It is recommended that you place the contact information on the top of the page so it is not overlooked. In addition, you should include a link that directs the user to your email and a link to a contact form.
Photos
You don’t need to go overboard with the amount of photos, but customers like to see that you know what you are doing. Most people are visual so you should make sure that you have a quality image that indicates what you offer. You should include a picture of what your business looks like to make it easier for people to find you and also a demonstration that you’re a real business.
Social Media
Social media and your website should work together to promote your brand. Including social share and follow buttons will increase awareness of your content. You should place share buttons on the top or bottom of your page to make it easier for the user to share and follow your posts. You don’t want the user to leave your website completely so make sure the links to your social media pages open in a new tab.
Call to Action
The primary goal of your website is to generate leads so you must include a call to action that compels visitors to use your company. A clear call to action will encourage people to contact you, which in turn will boost your conversion. You should emphasize your call to action by placing it at the top of the page and creating a unique design that stands out from the rest of your content.
For more information on what key components you need to help make your company’s website successful, contact Paveya, or for ongoing tips, news and updates, check out our Marketing blog!
