I’ve personally been involved in website development since 2001. It’s remarkable how different making a website is today from even 3 years ago. The tools available to us that really help your website shine, what search engines care about, and of course the proliferation of mobile devices has dramatically changed the landscape.
Another thing that has changed is how much more important your website is to your business. More than ever before, people will look online at you before they call or visit you. Having easy access to information is expected and roadblocks on a website have a larger effect than ever before on the impression you give your potential customer.
I thought it might be useful to give you a quick “top 10” list for what every website for a small or medium sized business developed in 2016/17 should include.
Top 10 Crucial Website Elements
1. Every website should be mobile responsive – your website needs to change according to the device it is being viewed on. For the “why” of this, click here.
2. Think about the first impression. Within seconds of landing on your website, I should know who you are, what you do, and have a feeling about you that would MATCH what I get in person.
3. Talk about why you are different on the homepage and what benefits you offer me or why you are unique.
4. A clickable phone number at the top of each page. People want to contact you NOW.
5. Essential information prominently displayed: address, hours, contact information. The best place is a contact page and in the footer.
6. A clear call to action on every page. What do you want the user to do?
7. Testimonials fused throughout the site. NOT a testimonials page. If possible, the testimonial should relate to the content on that page.
8. Video. The statistics go up every day for how powerful video is for engaging your user and converting them to customers. There’s no better way to give your first impression. Learn more about video production here.
9. High quality, original images at every turn, preferably images of your business and staff and adventures and not just stock images.
10. Awards, certifications and associations. We call this a “trust bar” and it makes a big difference.
Want to know more about website development? Click here.