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Most people today are regular online users and believe
they can tell the difference between a good or bad website within
seconds of looking at it. Although in certain cases this can be
true there are many factors to consider when evaluating the components
of a successful site. A good website will possess many, if not all,
of the following traits…
Search Engine Friendly: The main
purpose of a website is to bring visitors to your site, preferably
those with an interest in your product or service. Without visibility
in search engines your website may look great but do little else
to help promote your business. It is critical customers are able
to find you in sites like Google or Yahoo using keywords or phrases
relating to your business. If you are unfamiliar with SEO (Search
Engine Optimization) find a company who can help, the investment
can be well worth it.
Quick Load Times & Minimal Distractions:
There is nothing more frustrating than going to a website
and waiting long periods of time to access its content. Whether
it’s due to slow loading images or annoying popup ads these
kind of annoyances can drive customers away in a hurry. Making sure
visitors can use your website quickly and easily should always be
a top priority. Avoid things such as excessive flash animations,
large video clips, or music tracks without an off switch.
Clear Message or Purpose: What does
your website do? Why is it actually there? If you sell vacuum cleaners
how you present your site should make this fact clear instantly.
This is done not only by your choice of text or wording but also
your logo, images, slogan, and even colour scheme. It is possible
for a website to look great visually but not properly convey the
message you are trying to send to consumers. People's attention
span's are short and not getting to the point quickly is an incentive
for your users to look elsewhere.
Strong Call To Action: Once people
have found your website and want to do business with you tell them
what their next step should be with a strong "call to action".
Should they give you a call to schedule a meeting or appointment?
Can they purchase your products or services online....how so? Don't
ever assume your customer knows what to do next, tell them how you
want them to react to your website to prompt a quicker more impulsive
response.
Easy To Use & Navigate: Making
your website easy to use is crucial in visitors staying at your
website once they find it. Key or important information should be
easy to access within a couple of clicks and arranged in a way that
is simple and logical to your user. Your customer shouldn't have
to "figure out" how to use your website, it is your job
to make navigation easy. Also be sure to develop your website in
a manner that keeps all demographics in mind, whether it be seniors,
children or even those with disabilities.
Professional Design & Quality First Impression:
The professionalism of your website is a key factor in establishing
your company's credibility and heavily influences a person's decision
to do business with your over a competitor . Although it may be
tempting to cut costs by having a friend make your website or using
a template you will get out or your website what you put into it.
Your website is often your first point of contact with potential
customers and must introduce your company in a way that inspires
trust and confidence. A poor looking website may generate a lot
of traffic but fail you in terms of creating business leads or increased
sales.
Strong & Relevant Content: It’s
often said in the web design industry that "content is king".
Although it is great to have all the other bells and whistles that
come with a quality website what you actually say is as important
as anything. Remember websites are primarily a READING tool so make
sure your text is informative and has depth. If you were to try
and make a book out of the written portion of your website alone
how well would it hold up based on its own merits?
The Return Factor: Once you get someone
to visit your website, what is their incentive to return in the
future or come back regularly? Websites that garner a lot of traffic
do so not only by reaching a large amount of new users but maintaining
a healthy number or existing ones. Common examples to include could
be a latest news and headlines section, free articles or resources,
a community blog or anything keeps web surfers coming back.
Goal Orientated: In order to judge
or measure the success of your website it is important to set goals
or benchmarks. Everyone wants their website to bring in more business....but
how often or how much? A large part of your website success is determined
before it is ever designed or put together. Make sure you decide
in advance what you want your website to accomplish in terms of
results to understand if your site is performing up to the expectations
you want or need.
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