5 of the Most Important Things to Have on Your Website
I’m sure we have all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but if we are being honest, it happens all the time. If the cover doesn’t grab our attention, doesn’t seem interesting, or doesn’t have the information we are looking for, then we move on to find something that does. The same is true for your website as it is the ‘cover’ of your business online. As such, your design, content, and user experience should quickly catch people’s attention and guide them to what they are looking for.
These first impressions can have a huge impact on whether or not a person purchases from you. They go a long way in building trust in the digital space. Creating a strong website will ensure that the first impression your potential clients get is that you are legitimate, reliable, and professional.
In my experience, there are 5 important things you need on your website to build that trust and convert potential clients. Some are easy fixes, while others may take a bit of effort to implement, but are worth the investment. So let’s take a look at what those are.
1. Strong brand identity
Let’s start with what I mean by brand identity, and I will use my brand as an example so you can get a better understanding. Brand identity can be broken down into 4 parts. I go into more detail In my blog How to Build a Strong Identity for Your Business but let me give you the basics.
Your business name - Heidi Banks Design is my business name, and I use it consistently across my website and social media platforms.
What your business does - In my business, I offer website design packages and templates.
Who you serve - I work with small businesses looking to build their first website or redesign their current one.
Unique branding (logo, colors, fonts, & graphics) - I have a simple wordmark logo, use a combination of green, pink, and grey, and have a combination of three specific fonts and sizes that I use consistently on my website and social platforms. My brand is moody and professional but still personable.
Having these elements and using them consistently across all platforms is so important. It shows clients that you are an established business that they can trust. When you have a weak or inconsistent brand, it can make what you are selling appear low quality or possibly even like a scam.
Taking the time to establish your brand identity will also help you make clear decisions when it comes to how you would like your business to be portrayed, what type of clients you would like to attract, and how you would like them to feel after an interaction with you.
2. Eye-catching visuals
Did you know that visuals (such as photos, graphics, or videos) are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text? Crazy, right! Visuals can be a broad topic and can be broken into photos, videos, graphics, colors, fonts, or anything your eye can see. In this blog, I’m going to focus on the photos and graphics of your site.
Using eye-catching visuals is an excellent way to grab the attention of a potential client by making their experience with your site more memorable. Visuals allow you to convey information faster and allow for social sharing. They can simplify more complex ideas or information and make them easier to understand.
According to various studies, 65% of the population are visual learners. That means the majority of your potential clients will be attracted to a business/website that uses visuals in an engaging way. This is why having high-quality photos is super important. If you were to look at two different websites that offer the same product, would you be more likely to purchase from the site that had a detailed, high-quality photo, or one that had a low-quality, grainy image? I’m pretty sure the answer would be the site with the high-quality image. So why is that? Good quality visuals establish trust by showing that you are a legitimate business that cares about details.
3. Call to action
A call to action (also referred to as a CTA) is an invitation that you extend to the potential client to act in a certain way. This can be in the form of a button, statement, offer, etc. For example, if you want someone to purchase a product or service, you will have a photo and/or description of the item and then a button that says, “buy now,” “add to cart,” or “book now.”
Having a call to action shows your potential clients exactly what you want them to do and directs them on how to do it. You will want to be careful with the number of differing calls to action you have on one page, though. Too many options can divide a customer’s attention and make it less likely for them to click on one. For example, if you have 6 different service options, but want to prioritize selling options 3 and 5, it would be better to have multiple CTA’s for 3 and 5 instead of one CTA for every one of your services. That doesn't mean that you wouldn’t have the other services listed somewhere on your site, just that you prioritize the services you want customers to buy more.
When choosing a call to action, there are a few things to consider. One is your audience and the other is the goal of your site. To start, identify what kind of people will be accessing your website. Once you have divided them into groups, decide what you would ideally like each group to do while there. Maybe you want them to book a service, buy a product, read an article, fill out a form, or share your site on social media. It is okay to have different goals for different groups of people. Be sure to make each call to action clear, though.
Having a few persuasive calls to action on your web page will help drive users to engage with your site in the way you want them to. It gives them clear direction and helps them know what you offer.
4. Clear navigation
While an easily identifiable call to action guides users to what you want them to find, having a clear navigation will help them find what they want to find. If your site is unorganized or hard to navigate, clients will get lost and will most likely leave. Making sure your layout is simple, organized, and easy to understand will give your site the best chance of converting casual viewers to dedicated clients.
Here is an example to demonstrate the importance. Imagine you know exactly what article of clothing you want to buy. You walk into an extremely unorganized shop. All the sizes and styles are mixed up, and you have to sift through the whole store to find what you are looking for. Chances are, you would get frustrated pretty quickly, and might even leave to look somewhere else. Similarly, if your potential clients find a disorganized site, they are not likely to stick around to sort through the information.
Let’s look at a few navigation tips. You want your site to be as simple as possible, which means avoiding making it too busy. Often, websites have a menu bar at the top of the page to help a user navigate to the different parts of the site. When creating this, you don’t want to make it crowded by having too many sections. A good rule of thumb is to stick to 5 or less. If you still have other areas you want your users to be able to navigate to, consider using a drop-down menu with the additional links. As far as the home page information goes, make it clear what you are offering and guide potential clients to your call to action. Another tip is to include a search bar so that they can easily find the information they want.
However you choose to design your site, keeping it simple and organized will help direct users to the important elements and improve the overall user experience. Remember to keep it easy to navigate so that the flow is clear, logical, and natural.
5. Social proof
Having social proof on your website tells prospective customers that you have completed quality projects in the past and that you were a good company to work with. It helps you build rapport with a client before they purchase a product or book a service. Social proof can come in a couple of different forms, including customer reviews, portfolio examples, or links to other projects you’ve worked on. It is an opportunity to use past clients’ experiences to promote yourself to future clients.
Why is this so powerful? We tend to trust our network and other real people whom we see as unbiased. If we are looking for a service, we want to learn about the service from other customers, rather than the person trying to sell it to us. This is why customer reviews are critical. They make your clients feel safe. They build trust. Your site is a great place to showcase customers with whom you did your best work.
You may not have a lot of social proof when you first start your business. That is okay! Make sure to collect it when you can so that you can add it to your site over time. After finishing a project, providing a service, or selling a product, don’t be afraid to ask for a review. Get information on the customer’s experience with you as a business, as well as the quality of the product. It may also be applicable to ask if you can use your work to showcase to potential clients later.
Help your potential clients know that you are a safe investment by providing them with social proof. Doing so will help you seem legitimate and reliable while converting website viewers into customers.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you want to have a website that is user-friendly and full of helpful content for your potential clients. The principles outlined in this blog will start you on your way to an effective, high-converting website. Remember, people will love simple, easy experiences. They don’t want to put in a lot of work to get results.
The tips described above, including strong brand identity, eye-catching visuals, call to action, clear navigation, and social proof, are the building blocks of a successful website. Hopefully, this blog helps as you create a home for your business online. If you find yourself having a hard time and would like a little (or a lot) of help, you can check out one of my packages or templates.
Find this blog helpful? Check out one of my other blogs to see similar content and tips. If you have questions or blog recommendations for future posts, please email me at contact@heidibanksdesign.com.
