A website is either great or it’s not good enough for your business. There is no middle ground. There are the elements of a successful website that the brand, the customers, and the business needs. Then there are sites that lack those elements. So, what are the elements that your website is missing? That’s what we’re going to be looking at in the boot camp.
Usability is number one
You would think that this is a no-brainer, but businesses consistency launch sites that are, in one way or another, broken. They have too many pages that could be condensed into one, or they’re missing the simple tricks of navigation like drop-down menus that allow them to unify several different pages under one category. Or they’re making one of the biggest mistakes in modern business and failing to make a responsive website that reads as well on mobile devices as it does on the PC. Make sure you have strangers testing your site on different devices and offer them objectives, like using certain services on the site. If they mention any barriers to those objectives, think about how you remove those barriers.
Sites are more than just a text on background
A good brand needs a good brand image. This doesn’t just mean the colour and design of the formatting trims on the website. Instead, think about how you use images to communicate if they can deliver your message quicker than text. Go even further and use video marketing content on your pages to remove the effort from the user’s experience entirely. The best videos to use on sites are shorter ones. If it takes longer than thirty seconds, a significant portion of website users will simply ignore a video.
Nothing works without visibility
If your website’s issue is the fact that no-one is browsing it, then you need to ask yourself why. For instance, if it doesn’t have high placement on search engines with the help of a search engine optimisation agency, then people simply might not be able to find it even when they’re looking for it. If you’re not using social media to highlight the different deals and pieces on content on the site, then people won’t think to check them out. Even the greatest designed sites won’t have much impact if they have no visibility.
Picture sourced by Pixelcreatures
If you have something to say, say it
Content can be one of the greatest weapons a site can offer your business or your brand. It is your opportunity to offer expertise in advice articles that solve problems for even average web users who weren’t looking for your business. It gives you the chance to show that the site is alive and the business is ever-working by keeping the site up-to-date. It can even be used as a place to show positive proof of the business’s success, highlighting awards, industry updates and testimonials. If you have something to say, say it on the site with well-written content.
If you see anything mentioned in the points above that your site just doesn’t have, then it’s time to consider why and if it’s worth adding it. The website is the online face of your business. You wouldn’t meet a client in a customer without dressing professionally. Why would you let your website go out in just as bad a condition?
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