All too often I see business websites that don’t do a very good job of conveying their core message, sites that aren’t well thought-out, sites that don’t perform well, and sites that just don’t work the way they’re supposed to.
A website that is sleek, user-friendly and impressive to look at will instantly give off the impression that you care about your company and what people think about it. That also naturally allows people to think that that will extend to the products and services that you provide.
If you care about your website, you care about your business and you care about your customers. That is the basic psychology of website design and functionality, so if your website is not giving off that impression, now is the time to change it to ensure that it does.
A website is no longer an afterthought in marketing your business: some businesses base their names on what URLs they can buy! Just like if you were setting up a physical store, you wouldn’t just throw it together on a whim, spend time in the planning phase to ensure there are no issues later in the life cycle of the site.
Like with everything in business, sit down and work out who you are targeting, how they will interact with the site, and what you want them to do at the end of their time on the site (buy? email? call?).
Do not underestimate the importance of testimonials. People trust reviews more than they trust your marketing material. Reviews are especially important if someone has never heard of your company before. Or doesn’t know anyone who’s used your company before.
No one wants to be ripped off, and trust is a big thing when it comes to making a purchase decision. A lack of impartial reviews can put someone off and convince them to buy from a competitor who has reviews. They can make a huge difference to your audience’s perception of your business.
Be careful to ensure that your brand does not look outdated and doesn’t appeal to your audience as it can put customers off. A poor brand can suggest that you are outdated, untrustworthy, and offer a bad service.
Additionally, it can also position you incorrectly and leave your audience to believe that you are too cheap or too expensive for them. A strong brand on the other hand, will communicate to your target audience. That you are, and offer, exactly what they are looking for.
And last but certainly not least, whatever you do, make sure you have some photos of you and your team on there. It’s amazing how many companies fail to do this when we all know that age old maxim ‘people buy people’. If you do not do this, you run the risk of your website lacking that all important ‘human element’.