Building a new website or revamping your current site doesn’t have to be a struggle. Here are 10 tips to ensuring your website is effective and provides the information and visuals your potential customers are looking for.
- Content is king. Not only does high-quality, SEO-rich text bring people to your website, it also keeps people there.
- Proof the copy. For me, there’s nothing worse than reading a website that is poorly written or not proofed.
- Make sure your phone number and other contact information is on the home page. Make it easy for visitors to find you on social media platforms with links.
- Link to your email address. This is often a concern for small business owners. After all, a live email link can open you up to spammers. But honestly, if you’re a small business, chances are relatively slim that spam-bots will find you online. And even if they do, they would have found you elsewhere.
- Avoid flashy graphics and scrolling text. Back in the day, when the Internet was a new and exciting resource, a lot of us went overboard on graphics. Today, we use the Internet to get information quickly and no one wants to be forced to look at the self-described worst website ever!
- Brand your website. Throwing graphics and content onto your website with no rhyme or reason lends nothing to the design. Make sure your website, business cards, social pages and anything else your audience sees has the same look and feel to it. You’ll be more recognizable and people will remember you!
- Offer services, products and pricing up-front. Yep, you read that right. Let your website visitors know what products and services you have available to them and tell them what your prices are. That will save you both time and heartache as you make the pitch, only to find out that your services are not what they’re looking for.
- Provide a human face to your business. You can do this in the form of a blog, a video blog and an About page that tells about you. If you’re a traditionally online business, be sure to include your own photo on your site—preferably on the home page.
- Optimize for mobile. Think about it: How often are you on your phone vs. computer? Enough said.
- Let your clients and customers do the talking. One of the best ways to attract new clients is through word of mouth, and testimonials are a great way to aid in that.
What are your favorite must-haves on websites?
