A stand-out website is a formidable tool in your marketing arsenal. If I asked you what makes a ‘great’ website, you’d say one that attracts clients, makes sales and looks really high end. But is that all there is to it? The elements of a great website are not exactly a closely guarded secret – you’ve just got to know what to look for.
Responsiveness
The average adult spends more than 2 hours a day on their smartphone, overtaking the average desktop use. By ensuring that your site is mobile responsive, you’re cashing in on a huge number of potential clients. Make the menu smaller, easy to navigate on a smaller screen and limit full screen images that might disrupt browsing.
Consistent branding
Mismatching fonts, clashing colors and dodgy stock imagery aren’t going to create a lasting impression. At least, not a good one. Before delving into creating your site, you need to nail your branding. Think of brands like Pandora, Amazon and Pepsi – you know their colors, you know their font and you’d recognize their brand across any platform. That’s great branding.
Great copy
It might seem like a no-brainer that your site copy needs to be spelling mistake free. However, there’s a little more to it than that. If you’re selling a service or a product, you want the essence of it to be echoed in your copy. A site selling children’s toys probably won’t need eons of block text and detailed explanations – and a solicitors site won’t include colloquial language, slang and exclamation marks. Take a little time to think about how your ideal customer would like to be spoken to.
User friendly
Have you ever bolted away from a site that had confusing options, multiple menus and conflicting processes? Yes! We all know the feeling. Again, think like a customer. How easy is it to find what they’re looking for? Are the menus easy to navigate? Are your contact details on the first page? Have you streamlined your purchase process? Get a friend to test-run your site and jot down any feedback.
A good blog
Businesses who make their blogs a priority are 13 times more likely to have a positive return on investment. Those are some good odds that you need to capitalize on. If you’re buying a product or service, you might want to know how and where you could use it. If you’re buying into an industry you’ve never bought from before, you might want to know a little more about it. Perhaps you’re purchasing coaching or mentoring from an individual – you’d want to know a little about their story. Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool and a blog is the perfect place to exercise it.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Ugh, most people cringe at the thought of SEO. Appearing high up on Google is hugely important, but also a lot of effort. Or is it? By hiring a quality web designer and developer, SEO doesn’t have to be a headache. Think about your ideal client and what they might search for in order to find you. Communicate your thoughts with your web developer and work together on getting you found in the right places.
Your website is your business card. It what people see when they think of doing business with you. Keep it sharp, look after it, and it’ll look after you.
Need help transforming your website from good to great? Click here to learn about my branding and web design services.
