Strong performing websites have common elements that help make them successful. If you go to the industry leaders websites, like Apple or Airbnb, you will see a similar design with recurring themes and the same digital marketing fundamentals. We break down eleven elements that are crucial to having a successful website.
Strong Brand Recognition. Make sure your logo is clearly visible and recognizable. This is your company’s opportunity to leave an impression and hopefully gain a sale. Use your logo and brand to help leave a lasting image in the visitor’s memory. This will help in getting them to revisit as well as retaining their business for years.
Spacing. Make sure you are using the proper spacing between text, images and other elements of the website. This is one I personally have trouble with. If you do too, find a few people to get a second and third opinion from. They can help you space the website properly if this is not one of your strong points. Spacing is very important in the overall user experience of your website.
SEO. Your website needs to have a strong SEO (search engine optimization) score for it’s on page performance. There are a ton of free tools that will help you to analyze this and provide you with a full list of errors that you need to fix to increase the website’s SEO performance. I would recommend using SEO Sitecheckup.
Simple Navigation. Don’t over complicate your navigation. The simpler the better for your visitor’s experience. Your website should be easily navigable and maneuverable.
E-Commerce. Depending on the nature of your business, you really should have an element of e-commerce to your website. If you’re in the service industry have an area for customers to put a deposit down or make a payment. Your website should act as an additional salesperson for your company.
E-Mail Capture. Have an e-mail capture that pops out upon the visitor’s arrival. E-mail marketing delivers one of the highest ROI of any marketing tool. Being able to reconnect with visitors is a huge benefit for your business and one you will definitely see in your bottom line.
Contact Info. You need to be sure that your contact information is highly visible. I always recommend putting it in at least the header or the footer and then a detailed section in a contact form that allows the visitor to clearly contact you.
Call to Action. What is your website’s primary objective? The answer should provide you with the focal point of your website’s call to actions. Make calls to action obvious. Placement should be in a highly visible part of the page and next to the item it relates to. Buttons should be of a contrasting color and say exactly what you should do: Buy Now, Join, Download, Sign Up Free.
Images. Utilize vibrant original images. If you’re capable of taking custom photography, do it. If photography isn’t in the budget or isn’t in the skillset, sign up for a stock photo account. They have some great images that you can license. A website that is missing cool imagery will fail to hold the visitor’s interest and you will not convert them into sales.
Video. Video engages customers 83 percent more than text and images and is much more effective in delivering a message. Make sure you have some video embedded into your site, it will be well worth the investment.
Font. Choose your font wisely. Readability is an extremely important element in keeping your visitor engaged. If you are using a crazy font, the visitor will most definitely leave your site.
Use this list to go through your website. If you are missing any of these important must-have elements, then add them. If you don’t have a website or are unsure how to add one of these recommended elements, reach out to us! We are waiting to help you grow your business and expand your marketing reach.