Your website is an important indicator of your business’ success – it should perform well and show results. You may wonder what we mean by ‘website performance’ exactly? The term is very broad, but we have singled out its most critical functions:
- A good website brings traffic from your target audience
- It does not scare people away, moreover, it gets them to stay longer and engages them with your content
- And eventually, a quality website leads people to act! Whether to call, leave their information or buy your service or product online.
Here is what any business website looking to succeed in the modern digital market should have:
1. Memorable Domain Name
The domain name can be the door leading to successful marketing. Choosing the right and strong domain name can increase your chances of standing out among thousands of other websites and being discovered by your potential customers.
Be sure to think it through and make your choice carefully in order to get the below-mentioned benefits that a good domain name comes with:
- Better brand visibility and awareness
- Higher search engine ranking
- Boost in credibility, trustworthiness and professionalism
- Display of your business values and identity from the onset
Be creative, keep it simple and brief – make it memorable!
2. Good Hosting
Don’t spare your budget on hosting, especially when having your website on a mainstream provider is quite inexpensive.
Poor hosting can cause many problems, from slow load time and high bounce rates to low ranking on search engines.
3. Easy Navigation
People come to your website with the purpose of finding the information they need. Believe it or not, no matter how beautiful your website is or how interactive the experience it provides, you will lose potential customers if they have difficulty in finding what they want.
Here are a few tips for you to make navigating through your website an effortless task:
- Have your primary navigation at the top of your page with a simple structure
- Don’t forget to set your navigation in the footer of your website as well
- Add a search box at top of the site
- Complex JS and Flash are not a good idea for easy navigation, so it’s better to avoid them.
Release your visitors from having to think too long as to what is where on your website – keep things simple!
4. Attractive Design
It literally takes milliseconds for visitors to decide whether they want to stay on your website or keep searching for others. And what prompts their decision is the appearance of your website. Remember that your site is the reflection of your brand, your products and services, and it needs to be attractive for a user at first glance.
When a visitor comes to your site, they should be able to see your company’s mission and values right away. An eye-catching design is not just a classy combination of colours and images, it is also great user experience and intuitive interface. This includes the implementation of innovative techniques such as animations, hidden menus, typography and so on. But don’t overdo it, first study the preferences of your target audience and then act accordingly.
Note: Make sure not to have any spelling mistakes or grammar errors, as they are a huge turn-off for many customers and indicate a lack of professionalism.
5. Mobile-Friendliness
Phones and tablets are replacing desktop computers and laptops. 90% of people carry out routine tasks through their mobile phones – purchases, orders, bookings, etc.
According to eMarketer, nearly 69% of internet users would rather search for product or service reviews on their mobile phones than ask an in-store employee. 55% of them would look up product description and specifications using their mobile devices.
These facts stress the importance of making your website responsive and mobile-friendly otherwise you are risking a substantial number of customers leaving your site never to return. Allow everyone to be able to view your website and have good experience regardless of the device, browser, or system they are using.
6. Contact Information
It is vital to have your contact information on each page of your website. It would be also an advantage to have a clickable “email us!” option. Keep in mind to include simple contact and enquiry forms, your visitors will not stay if they have a hard time getting in touch with you.
7. CTAs
CTAs urge your visitors to act and increase your chances of getting actual sales.
There are a number of options for creating effective CTAs such as offering discounts, newsletter subscriptions, promotional emails, guides, making a purchase, etc.
A few tips for creating great CTAs:
- Write them in bold and big letters with eye-catching colours based on your website’s overall design
- Keep the message simple and clear
- Make them clickable, e.g., with a hover effect
8. SSL Certificate
Security is crucial if you want to gain the trust of your customers and make them feel safe when providing you with their personal information. Be sure to get an SSL certificate – the effort is worth it!
A good website is a platform for customer acquisition, but customer retention is just as important, and it requires continuous work and optimisation. Feel free to talk to our experts if you need a consultation on building or optimising your website.
