More and more people are researching online before making purchases. In some sectors, over 80% of people now do this. Your website will be the first point of contact for many of them, so it's crucial it's a good experience. How can you make it as good as can be?
Here's a quick run-down.
Website security isn't an optional extra – it should be baked in from the beginning. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certification reassures visitors that their communications with you are protected. The alternative is seeing browsers flash up a "Not Secure" message, which can have dire consequences for visitor engagement and your Google rankings.
The days are gone when everyone used a desktop PC to visit commercial websites. Now, you'll need to make your site's appearance fit the size of their screens – whether visitors are using a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop. Business growth specialists like JDR can help with designing and building websites that work seamlessly across all devices.
Your contact details need to be front and centre, not buried away on a Terms and Conditions page. If visitors can't get in touch with you easily, you're already losing out. Give customer testimonials and reviews a prominent position, too.
People in Europe and America naturally read from top to bottom, from left to right – so ensure the top navigation is intuitive and attractive. After all, the longer visitors spend on your site, the more they'll see of it. Place clear, attractive calls to action right on the homepage and make it as easy as possible for users to convert into customers. (Different linguistic layout rules apply if your website is written in Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese, or Chinese script.)
A blog with no updates in the last year is a major disincentive; if you don't appear to be engaged with your business, then why should prospects be? Research relevant high-ranking and trending keywords and produce a series of blogs on those topics.
However well designed your website, you still need to attract visitors in the first place – which means an effective SEO strategy, an area where a local digital agency can often make a great partner and allow you to focus on growing your business.
Your website needs to be as frictionless as possible for visitors, ensuring they have a good first impression – and one that lasts through to conversion and beyond. We can't stress this enough: the happier they are, the more likely they'll convert. To discuss ways you can do this, give one of our inbound marketing specialists a call today.
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