Ten years ago things were different. Advertising dollars were allocated on traditional platforms and not necessarily online. Now, online should be your first priority. Globally, billions of online searches are made every day, and your website is one of the first things your potential customers will see. Online presence is important, affordable, and required nowadays. Below are five ways you can build a beautiful website your customer trusts and desires.
1. User Experience
Make it simple and straight forward. No one wants to get confused when they first go to your site. It’s important to get to the point right away (which we will discuss more in the writing section). Eliminate huge paragraphs and fluffy text. Attention spans are short. Headers, lists, and bullet points are great. People no longer want to read huge blocks of text anymore. Beyond verbiage, you want to create clear calls to action and five crucial web pages.
Include webpages like:
- Homepage
- About Us
- How it Works
- Sign Up/Get Started
- Blog
Also, make sure all of these pages are also mobile and tablet friendly. Bulky or Java Script websites won’t work on mobile. Even if they do work, typically they will simply take too long to load, negatively impacting your ranking on Google. OMG Commerce can help you make all of these components come to life both effectively and efficiently.
2. Writing
Most online marketing firms hire a team of exceptional writers because they know just how valuable outstanding writers are in this digital age. You’ll need a website that is original, straight-forward, and creative. There is the right place on your website for everything. You’ll need two types of writing styles on your website that is factual and fun also.
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Factual
You’ll need the facts on your five core pages. This is what customers need to know before they click on that call to action button. Some business owners want to get super creative here, but, unfortunately, that often leads to confusion, so reserve the cool lingo for other portions of your website.
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Fun
The fun and funky part of your website should be your blog and sometimes your landing pages. Both areas should have relevant, fun topics that are keyword specific, aimed at your local audience. Blogs should be written weekly so Google knows this is a current, thriving, open business customers can confide in.
3. Branding
Stay on brand. This may seem obvious, but if you are already using a logo, font, and color scheme on all your printed marketing materials and signage, tell your online marketing firm that. Consumers should not visit your website and then show up confused at your front door asking you if you’re sure this is your website when they arrive. Be cohesive and confident in your brand.
4. Conversion
As we previously discussed, your online marketing firm should also be building keyword specific landing pages for your new business. Landing pages are quick one-pagers aimed to target a demographic who regularly buys your product. You may not want to write to female preteens on your homepage, but a landing page will be the perfect place to do it! These webpages can also be paired with Google Adwords for a more effective ad campaign. Your ultimate goal is a high return on investment. The right web design paired with the right landing pages will do just that.
5. SEO
Lastly, the perfect website is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly. WordPress is a commonly used tool by many web designers for this reason. Your website should be meta data-friendly. Every image and page allows a small number of characters that are keyword specific. These words are later read by Google spiders. These titles and descriptions allow your website to rank for the right keyword searches, ultimately increasing your website traffic.
If you include these five core elements in your new website, your business is sure to succeed. Be patient and also remember a brilliant website will not be created overnight; it takes time and teamwork. Remember to stay in weekly contact with your online marketing firm and to put trust in their expertise.
Photos courtesy of gettyimages.com
