Any entrepreneur worth their salt will appreciate the benefit of a website. People no longer rely on word of mouth as a recommendation. Instead the mighty search engine has taken its place. A successful online presence is the only way to keep up with the competition. Get the design of your website right, and you’ll find yourself streaking ahead. However, one silly mistake and you’re going to ruin the customer experience, thereby costing you money. The first thing that customers are going to notice is how your website looks and feels. You’ve got the smallest amount of time to capture their attention, 10 seconds on average, so first impressions have to be good. Aside from the aesthetics of your site, there are 5 other factors you need to be aware of.
Responsive
It’s vital your website can be viewed on whatever device your customer chooses to use. There are more than 2 billion smartphone users, so if your website can’t be viewed by them this is a huge audience you’re missing. More than two-thirds of online searches are now made using a mobile device.
E-commerce
Allowing your customers to buy your products online has become increasingly important as more and more people choose to do their shopping from the comfort of their home. Offering your products 24 hours a day, together with customer service online is far more convenient for your customers. It also provides more flexibility for your business, and you can connect with an audience around the world.
CMS – Content Management System
A content management system has a number of benefits including:
- Makes your website easy to use
- Allows more than one person to contribute to your site
- Scheduling is streamlined
- Improved site maintenance
- Easy updating
- Content can be managed better
- Allows you to be in control of your site
SEO
Search Engine Optimisation is important if you don’t want your site to be lost in the sea of websites that are online. Your website will be analysed by the search engines, and you want to be confident it has a good chance of appearing in the first couple of pages. Be sure to research competent SEO practices which are also white hat. Black hat SEO will only risk you being penalised.
Content
The phrase ‘content is king’ might be a bit cliché, but it is still very true. The content that fills the pages of your site has to be relevant, engaging and shareable. The right kind of content will drive traffic to your site, improve your ranking in searches and do wonders for your brand image. Online audiences can be very picky. Your site might be good looking, function well and be accessible using a mobile device, but if your content isn’t compelling, they are going to go looking elsewhere. The design of your site is important, but equally so is the content and how it is optimised with appropriate keywords and arranges on your website.
These are the five essential concepts you need to consider when creating a website. There are many more such as contact information, reliability, speed and usability. These are also important factors when it comes to the success of your online presence. Your website is also something you’re going to need to keep on top of, producing new content on a regular basis. Designing a website isn’t something you do once and then forget about it. The process is an ongoing one.