Whilst us mere humans need time to eat, sleep and catch up on the latest Game of Thrones, your website sits there quietly, working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business and it’s primary role is to find out what they need, show them how you can help and prove to them that you’re the best at what you do. If your website isn’t already doing this then it’s probably time for a rethink.
Given the amount of responsibility companies bestow upon their websites, it’s amazing to see that so many businesses pay so little attention to them. Your website should be your best salesperson and provide the information your users are looking for 24 hours a day, regardless of whether they’re sat at home on their laptop or in the queue at Starbucks on their mobile phone.
As with all of your employees, you want your website to represent your brand image and engage with your customers in the best way possible. To help you achieve this, we’ve outlined 4 useful tips for you to keep in mind.
Spending some time researching your customers and discovering what’s important to them will give you a great insight into your target audience. Try asking yourself, who am I trying to target? What are they looking for? And how can I help? You should also take into account their browsing behaviour and how they’re going to find you. Keeping these at the forefront of your mind as you design and build your website will demonstrate to your visitors that you understand them and will help to build trust.
In today’s world people expect to be able to get the information they’re looking for within just a few clicks. They don’t want to comb through walls of text just to find your opening hours, and with so much competition out there, their attention spans are limited. Your content needs to clear, concise and accessible, but above all else it needs to demonstrate your strengths and abilities as a company.
Pro Tip: Having case studies, reviews and FAQs will help towards converting those potential customers into a paying customers.
Besides your content, one of the most important aspects of your website, excluding its functionality, is its design. When designing your website always refer back to your customer research, and keep in mind who you’re trying to target and what they’re expecting to find. Doing this will help you build a compelling and thoughtful website, tailored to your specific audience. One of, if not the most important thing to take into account when designing a website is its usability. Having a website which is responsive and easy to use for all visitors on all devices is crucial.
Pro Tip: Aim for a clean user interface which focuses on, and highlights, your content and products.
As with all of your employees, you want your website to grow and develop so it can better serve your company. Many companies and web design agencies see the launch of a new website as the end of a project. It should however be seen as the starting point of a continual process of reviewing, improving and optimising it to make it more and more effective.
You also need to ensure that your website continues to reflect your company as it grows. Many websites are left stagnant and outdated which can give potential customers the same impression about your business. You also need to consider that even though your company or business may not change all that often, your customers browsing behaviour will. Think back 5 years ago, the way people used to consume information back then was a lot different to how people consume information now.
Ultimately, your website should be working for you by building long-lasting relationships with your customers and by generating new business. To achieve this, you want to make sure it has everything it needs to be a great success. If you would like any further help or advice regarding your existing website or a new web design project you’re planning, feel free to get in touch with our friendly web design team today.