With online business growing at unprecedented rates there really is no excuse to be without an effective website… without it you’re going to be missing out on sales and opportunities. So, for those of you just getting started or wanting to make sure your website is operating effectively, here are our 5 must dos for an effective website.
1. Create a great User Experience (UX)
You have under 1 second to capture the attention of the user. Yes, you read that right! A site visitor will make a split-second judgement if your website is suitable or look elsewhere. Having an effective website means they will continue their search and give you a greater chance of winning their custom.
It is important that your website has clear navigation, easy usability, and striking design. Think about who your target audiences are, what are their interests. By answering these questions, you can convey to your audience that your website is exactly what they need!
Top Tip
Include any critical information for your audience to see above the fold on your website layout, so you can be confident that this information will not be missed if they don’t scroll down.
Even if your initial design attracts their attention you need to be able to maintain it! This means having a clear navigation that a user will find easy to use. For example, if you offer a variety of different services, rather than compiling them onto one page, create a drop down in the top menu navigation bar that breaks down the different services that your business offers.
If you have a button that you want someone to click on, perhaps to book an appointment or maybe even subscribe to your mailing list, it is important that this button is placed in an obvious position!
2. Compelling Content
Like the design needs to appeal to your ideal customer, the content that you include on your website needs to do. Make sure that the content you write is informative, provides answers to questions and gives them an insight into why they should buy from you.
It can be a great idea to take your customer on a journey through your content. You want to start by introducing the common problems that they might experience and then progress to show them how your product or service provides a solution to those problems!
Top Tip
Make sure your content has been optimised for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Include relevant keywords on your website for on search engines like Google. SEO can be a complex strategy including both Content Marketing and Technical SEO, so again we advise that you speak to an expert in this field to make sure you get it right.
3. Mobile Responsiveness
Go back 15 years and viewing a website on a mobile was more of a rarity. However, things have changed! More and more people are choosing to search the web on their mobile devices. Mobile devices offer ease and convenience, with users being able to search for what they are looking for on the go, no matter where they are if an internet connection is present.
It is crucial that your website works and performs just as well on mobile as it does a desktop. Ensure your pages display correctly, images load quickly and text can be easily read. It’s always a good idea to test your website on several mobile devices to make sure that it works well across them all!
4. Secure Payment Gateway
Having the ability to take payment on your e-commerce website not only helps streamline your business processes but also improves the customer experience. Imagine your customer wants to make a purchase, but to do so they must call you… if you’re unable to answer the phone they begin to lose patience. With no answer, they move on to the next effective website that offers allows them to make their purchase within minutes.
If you add a payment facility on your site make sure first and foremost that is safe! You need to purchase an SSL Certificate to help do this. If you’re unsure if you have SSL, we urge to speak to your web development company urgently. Don’t put your customer’s data at risk!
5. Integrating Email Marketing
Your website should be used as part of your wider marketing strategy and as part of the customer journey. For example, a user might come to your website make a purchase and then go on about their daily business forgetting that your website ever existed. If you are offering an exceptional product with excellent customer service than we hope that this won’t be the case. However, we’re all busy individuals and even when our customer service is spot on, you still might slip from their minds.
A great way of overcoming this is to integrate email marketing. Once a customer has made a purchase, they then get funnelled into an email sequence that might for example offer a discount and encourage them to come back and shop later. Fast forward a few more weeks and they could be updated about a new product range/service.
On the other hand, you might have a user that has visited your website and signed up to your email list but are yet to purchase. This user can then be funnelled through to a different email marketing sequence. This can help nurture them over the purchase line!
There are many other integrations available to email marketing that will aid your customer journey. Help boost sales in your business, by being sure to check others avenues too!
We understand that building your own effective website can be a little daunting. If you’re looking for additional support or it’s time for a complete website redesign we are here to help. Fill out the form below and find out more!