Your website has three responsibilities – to attract people, to engage and retain them, and to convince them to convert or take some sort of specified action. How do you make sure your website is pulling its weight? Include these vital elements:
FRESH CONTENT – Post new content regularly. Do yourself a favor and spend large chunks of time grinding out content that can be pre-scheduled to push out.
LINK BUILDING – This is an important part of your SEO strategy. Build relevant internal links and seek out backlinks from reputable, relevant websites.
KEYWORDS – Don’t assume, do some research and then push right up to that “almost too much” line. Include keywords in titles, URLs, and the body of your posts.
META TAGS – These little content descriptors help communicate to search engines what your web pages are all about. Put some thought and time into them.
RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN – Duh. Mobile compatible is a must, not a choice.
SOCIAL MEDIA – Use a social share widget to integrate social media sharing buttons on your site pages and in your posts to make it super easy for readers to share your content.
CONTENT – High-quality writing that uses proper grammar, correct spelling, etc. is imperative. Post value-added, usable content that edifies, educates, or entertains.
LANDING PAGE LAYOUT – Keep things clean and simple. Use white space to avoid clutter. Keep some things standard like navigation at the top or side, social media and contact information in the footer, and calls to action (CTAs) visible always.
NO-NONSENSE CTAs – Your action buttons should be eye-catching, make them jump off the page. Feature concise, compelling text, and employ strong action words.
BUILD TRUST – Provide an opportunity for customer reviews, referrals, and comments. Post client testimonials in prominent places on your site. Provide an easy to find, clear, and concise privacy policy and post multiple ways for people to contact you (clickable links). Display business accreditation and security badges, too.
USER EXPERIENCE FOCUS – Quick page loading speed, clear navigation, an obvious path to conversion, search option…see more here!
LOGO – Your brand’s logo should be featured on every page. It is one of the main keys to brand recognition.
NAVIGATION – Build intuitive navigation options. Feature discreet options for top navigation, provide secondary navigation to commonly visited pages and offer breadcrumb navigation for easy movement through your site.
ONLINE CHAT – Whether you have a live human providing the service or you utilize AI chatbot options, know that people appreciate the option to reach out for immediate communication and assistance.
FAQ PAGE – Save your customer service team some time and provide answers to frequently asked questions about your products and services.
SCROLLING – Consider a site design that uses a long-scrolling page instead of subpages that require visitors to click through multiple windows. Consumers have come to expect content presented to them in the same way Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter provide long, scrolling feeds.
IMAGES – Use only professional grade, high-quality, custom photography. Also, make sure the image or video is relevant and adds value to the content surrounding. Think pictures with a purpose.
CLARITY OF PURPOSE – A visitor to your website should be able to understand what it is about and what they can expect from the site.
ABOUT PAGE – Tell your story, tell your brand’s story. It helps readers identify with you and start making the emotional connections required to build strong brand-client relationships.
ANALYTICS – Your site should include functionality to measure key indicators like traffic and conversions.
EMAIL – Include an email capture form that collects the information you need to engage with your customers on a regular basis and build a positive, productive relationship. Only ask for the information you need as the less you ask for, the more likely it is people will give it to you. It doesn’t hurt to offer something in return for the information such as a newsletter, free trial or another download of some sort.
SERVICE/PRODUCT PAGES – Text should be concise, attention-grabbing and should address and overcome any possible objections. Images of products should be crystal clear, offer zoom features, and make obvious any clickable elements. Videos of service demonstration should be engaging and informative. Consider that many people keep the sound turned off when they view videos – text overlay may be something you want to include.
Forget the grand gestures and focus on a simple, functional website. The expert designers at Strategy Driven Marketing are ready to create a website that works for your brand and pulls its own weight, too. Trust the team at SDM to utilize our business and marketing strategy expertise to build you the perfect website for your business. Contact us today to get started!