By Kyle Courtright
Having a website is so important to any business, no matter the size. However, in order for the website to be useful, you have to be sure that it’s effectively doing its job. Have you ever really looked at your website? Have you thought about what it’s saying? What kinds of things would stand out to a potential customer? Here are some things you should consider.
Flow
In my opinion the most important part of a website being effective is the flow. When someone comes to your site, what are they drawn to? Does the layout make sense? The flow of your website greatly impacts the message that is being conveyed. Think about your business as it relates to your website. What is the most important thing you want customers to see? Now look at your website, look at whether or not the important parts of the site are easy to find. Is it easy for a customer to find your contact page?
Sometimes, it’s hard to view things objectively. Ask someone who hasn’t seen the site before to take a look. Watch where they click, and what pages they tend towards. This is a good indicator of whether or not your site is effectively directing people to the information that you want them to see.
There are a number of good resources available to help with figuring out what your customers are clicking on. One of my favorite tools is the Crazy Egg Heatmap. This allows you to see where customers are clicking, in turn, giving you a better idea of what pages are being seen and more importantly what pages are being overlooked.
You should also ask your customers for feedback. They will let you know what they think. If they have a lot of positive feedback, chances are your website is effectively conveying your brand. Consistent negative feedback? Then it’s time to get to work.
About Page
The ‘About’ page says a lot about you and your business. Why? It gives you a great chance to build trust with your potential customer. It lets you shamelessly plug yourself, your staff and your business. This is where you sell your business to your customer.
Have you ever watched Shark Tank? Think of the ‘About’ page as your pitch. Use pictures of your office/facility and your staff! People love to see the faces and know the story behind the business. It builds that trust that is so important to gaining new customers.
This one is short and sweet. Navigation. Try to keep it clear and straightforward. Too many links and pages says can take away from the flow of the site that we talked about before. Keeping navigation simple is an easy way to see those conversion rates skyrocket and turn visitors into customers.
Quality
Having a quality site that looks fresh and current lets your customers know that you are, well….quality, fresh and current. Pictures can play a huge role in this. If you have pictures you need added to the site, please, do not add grainy, low res images to your site. I firmly believe that pictures can make or break a website. Make sure that any images you add are beautiful, quality pictures. The grainy, low res images? Get rid of ‘em. They will do more damage than good. Invest in a quality site and great pictures, it will be worth every penny.
So, what does your website really say about your company?
