Chadrack
As I mentioned in another post, your business website is an important element in your online marketing equation. One aspect of this is the design. Your website design should be able to speak volume about your company and what you do. This is because when customers Google you (and all your customers will Google you), the first thing they will find is your website.
So it is important that you ask yourself: when your customers find your website on the SERPs what do you want them to know about you?
Remember, these people, in their quest for information related to what your business is offering, will find themselves on your page at the click of a link. Wouldn’t it be to your benefit and the good of the visitor if they can read about your business and what it can do for them?
Your business website should not only be attractive but also have the right message else, people will tire of it in seconds. And this will result in a high bounce rate on your site. You will want to avoid this, don’t you?
Then make sure your site is telling the right story about your company.
Here are…
6 Important Things Your Website Should Say About Your Company
1. You are straightforward
Most small business website design looks the same. People favor an over the top, futuristic design style when they choose their site, for some bizarre reason. If you try too hard to look modern and cool, you will end up looking old-fashioned and outdated. The design of your page doesn't need to be flashy; it needs to be functional. If you are a straightforward company offering useful services, that should come across to the user.
2. You are user-friendly
When people visit a particular website, they expect to know how it works. You might think that there are loads of variables when it comes to the layout of sites, but there should not be. In general, people should know where the buttons or pages are on your site. You should either have a bar going across the header of the page or down the side of it. In that bar, you need to list either the categories or pages of your website.
3. You are contemporary
The last thing you want is for your website to look like it is from a different era. Back in the late 1990's, website design was basic, yet colorful. You would find a whole load of sites with colored backgrounds and pale text. We now know that this style is, for the most part, illegible. Avoid making some of the biggest design mistakes or people will assume that your company has not changed in the last twenty years.
4. You are legitimate
If you expect people to make transactions on your site (i.e. they pay for services or products on it), you need to show them that you are real. Users are wary when it comes to giving their bank details online, and rightly so. That issue could hinder you if you are a legitimate commerce business. If your site looks fake, nobody will trust you.
5. You care about the customer
You already know that you need to care about your customers if you want to run a successful enterprise. Your website needs to reflect that ethos so that people understand that they are important to you. You need a contact form (or even a chat box) so that users can message you with their worries or questions.
6. You are tech-savvy
Sometimes, terrible web design speaks for itself. If the design of your site looks like nothing a user has ever seen before, they will find it confusing. The page should show people that you know what you are doing. If it appears that you don't have the first idea when it comes to the internet, people will know you are not tech-savvy. These days, everybody needs to understand the technological world if they want to make it.
Conclusion
Don't give people the wrong impression about your business. Your site is not just a functional entity; it is a direct reflection of your company. If you want to keep customers coming back for more, your site should do all the hard work for you.
Your turn: What is your experience with your business website? Do share with us in your comments below.
Image Credit: Lindsey Turner
