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The importance of having a good website

By Jose Roman in Website Design

Customers are increasingly turning to the internet over brick-and-mortar stores to do business, and you may never get a second chance to secure a sale if your website makes a bad first impression. What does your site say about your company?

Whether you’re designing your business’ first website or have an older website that hasn’t been updated in a while, appearances matter. Today’s web-savvy customers have high expectations when it comes to the sites they visit, and if yours is dysfunctional or outdated, they will assume your business is, too.

What customers want from a website

Customers want specific info when they visit a business’ website, and if you don’t deliver, they’re unlikely to contact you for additional information. Instead, they will go to another business’ site that answers their questions up front.

To be effective, your website should have these 8 features:

1. Immediately tell the visitor what your business has to offer.
2. Feature at least three calls to action—visitors need to know exactly who to call or how to place an order.
3. Make it easy to get in touch with you for further information.
4. Display emotion-evoking images so people can quickly see how your products or services will benefit them.
5. Show why the visitor should choose to work with you over a competitor. Make sure your unique selling proposition is not something your competitors can also say about themselves.
6. Offer social proof with testimonials from real customers—including images if they are available—and links to your social media profiles.
7. Be optimized for search engines to ensure potential customers can find your site.
8. Feature secure and fast hosting—nobody likes a website that takes too long to load or puts their information at risk.

In addition to this basic information, there are other aspects of your website that will affect the experience visitors have. These include:

Aesthetics

Website design can have a significant impact on how potential customers view your business. This is especially important for creative businesses, but all companies should have a website design that reflects the style and personality of their business.

Ease to use

If your website is not easy to navigate, visitors will become frustrated. Don't make people dig for the information they need. A navigation menu will make it easy for potential customers to find what they want.

Up-to-date content

Adding new content to your site and making sure every page has up-to-date information will show website visitors that you're engaged and active.

Mobile first!

People looking at websites on mobile devices need a different experience than those browsing on computers. Your site should be easy to view and navigate from any device.

How your website can boost your business

Having a website is a non-negotiable part of doing business in today’s world. If you don’t yet have a website, or if your website is outdated or boring, you could be missing out on these benefits:

Affordable advertising

Your website is always promoting your business, no matter the time of day, and the ongoing investment into maintenance is minimal compared to the cost of other forms of advertising.

Increased credibility

If you don’t have a website, customers will wonder why. They’re likely to assume that your business is less credible than the competitors they can find on the web.

Increased sales

If you have an e-commerce website, it is like having a store that is always open. Sales can be made whenever your customers want to buy, making it easy to increase your sales revenue.

Better brand messaging

The design and content on your website are part of the identity of your business. Your site lets you speak directly to consumers and perfect the delivery of your message.

Although websites are a powerful tool for all businesses, they are especially vital for small businesses. The playing field is level online, so small businesses can improve their reach and connect with new customers in a way that would be difficult or even impossible through other forms of advertising.