In today’s world, having a website is essential to business growth and success. But with the web inundated with different company websites, how can you make yours stand out from the rest? To make it easy for you, we have compiled a list.
1. Epic Design
If you aren’t comfortable trying your own hand at website creation, then it is well worth outsourcing this job to someone else. Ensuring continuity of design demonstrates attention to detail, professionalism and consistency which will lead your audience to believe your company has these qualities in all aspects of your business.
Fonts, layouts, spacing, colors, logos, themes and whitespace all need to be carefully planned to ensure that your website is both simple and interesting. Too much clutter is confusing and hard to navigate, and a website that is too sparse will look like you don’t have much to offer.
2. Head-turning Headline
Aside from your company name, your home page needs to describe the most important benefits of your product or service. Keep it short and snappy and separate it from any other text on your home page.
Create headlines on each page of your website so your customers know exactly what benefits they will receive by reading your content.
3. Super Simple Navigation
The best websites are the ones that are simple to navigate. Your audience needs to find the information they are looking for quickly and without having to check out multiple pages. Grouping pages under the same topic will help streamline the navigation process. Nav bars are usually placed along the top of the page or in a margin. Ensure that your nav bars are identical and in the same place on every page.
4. Relevant Images
Images on a web page break up the text and add a splash of color to the content. Using the wrong image will detract from the information being given. We have previously blogged about how to select the right images for your website – check it out by clicking here!
5. Quality Content
Quality content is absolutely vital. Not only will it keep your audience interested and portray your business as professional, but it will also help boost your website in online search rankings. Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short) now relies heavily on keywords being used in high quality and relevant content as opposed to the old style keyword stuffing.
Keep your content relevant, interesting and ensure it tells your audience why they need your product or service.
6. An About Us Page
Learning to trust a new business can be difficult. Putting faces to the names with staff photographs or video bios will help establish a relationship with your brand. Behind the scenes photographs and staff news shared via social media are also helpful when developing a conversation with your audience.
7. A Strong Call to Action
Potential customers need a little push to help them make that next step. Whether it’s signing up to a mailing list, getting a free download or making a purchase, you can get customers on board by creating a call to action. This is usually a banner or pop up that asks customers to complete the relevant action. Use simple language and keep the call to action the same on every page to avoid confusion.
So what are you waiting for? Follow these essential guidelines and starting developing your website.
And here’s my call-to-action! If you need help building your site, consider allowing us the opportunity to work with your team. You can give me a ring via my direct line at 815-441-2219 or email [email protected].
photo credit: Anne Morse, Professor of Outdoor Education via photopin (license)