Website design can seem like an easy task.

Advertisements from Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy and other large companies…

They make it seem like you click, upload a few photos, and you’re done.

Let’s be honest…

If you want to get any results, we all know it’s not that simple.

There are some things that your customers will expect from your website.

We aren’t going to sit here and tell you there is a magic formula that guarantees success, but there are some things you can do.

Simple things.

That when applied to your website, will increase the odds of your success – to increase the odds of that moment you have been waiting for.

For people to start picking up the phone, dialling your number, and drumming up some business.

 

Design Consistency

There’s nothing worse than browsing a website, to suddenly feel lost.

You know what I’m talking about.

You’ll be browsing a site, you click something, and… things just feel out of place.

It happens when your brain makes too much of a distinction between your previous experience of their website…

To your new experience, where you start to disengage with the website.

That’s something you want to avoid.

And there are some things you can consider, when designing your website, that will stop this from having:

• Page Layouts
• Footer
• Content
• Header
• Colours
• Clear Navigation

You must make it feel like there is a flow to your website structure, and the pages.

Remain consistent in your website.

It’s the only way to retain attention.

 

Navigation

This follows up from the last point.

In the era of easy information and high levels of accessibility, people want to be able to find the information they need.

And fast.

When it comes to your website navigation, you must consider:

• Structural (the core menu and ‘sitemap’ for your website)
• Submenus (for the menus relating to each page across the website)
• Associative (content directly related to the page being viewed on your website)
• Utility (footer menu and clear navigation to all site structure)

Having clear navigation is key in 2020 – people have come to expect it.

 

Landing Pages

A landing page is a page built for one specific purpose.

To drive attention to one thing.

It’s usually an offer.

Use them. Test them. And keep using them.

Landing pages allow you to utilise your website.

Drive attention and awareness to one thing: usually an offer, or the service you are looking to promote.

This is how your website fits into your wider digital marketing strategy, including social media and paid ads.

Develop new pages. Test them and reiterate the process.

 

It’s called A/B Testing

A/B testing is the design and development of separate pages (usually advertisements) that are both measured against each other.

Once you have them running for a limited period of time, you track the results from each.

The one that produces the best results (the most sales or customer engagement) is declared the ‘winner.’

And then you repeat the process, building variations of that advertisement, and go from there.

As you repeat this process, your advertisement gets a higher return on investment each month, as you continue to reduce the rate of your customer acquisition.

We talk a lot about “data” – what we don’t talk about is how that data is used to influence customer decisions.

Simply put, this is one of the ways that data is used.

 

Facebook Integration (Live Chat/Reviews)

A bunch of positive reviews on your Facebook page… and you’re not displaying them across your website?

That’s criminal.

And contrary to popular belief…

Your Facebook page and website can work together.

From integrating the live chat to display Facebook reviews dynamically on your website, a simple API plugin and you’re done.

The best thing about this is that it lets people know you have genuine reviews from real people… and serves a lot better than the generic testimonials page.

The live chat can also increase engagement from customers too.

 

Localised Pages

Localised pages are pages developed specifically for the local communities and areas that you are targeting with your service.

They are developed in the background of your website.

Have you ever landed on a page and it has said:

“Local Building Contractors, based in Wakefield.”

You can bet they had another 20 pages that were similar, with the content re-written across each of them to fit a familiar tone.

Localised pages work well because they make users feel right at home, and give you a local presence in small districts that rank well in local searches.

Create local pages for specific areas, that showcase your work with customers in those areas.

Those pages also integrate well into your service pages and other content across your website.

 

Sometimes, Less is More

It’s simple.

Nobody wants to read unnecessary words or scroll through irrelevant pages of content.

Get to the point.

Use your website to describe what you do, and how that makes your customers life easier.

Focus on the key areas of your business.

You don’t need to upload every piece of work that you have done in the past.

Define your niche, target your audience with the right message and take your business in the right direction by providing your company with a defined purpose.

And don’t over-complicate things.

 

Whitespace

We get a lot of requests from customers for colour changes across their website.

We stick to the principles, and advise our customers… stick to the script.

Your primary colour and secondary colours should be utilised enough across your website to make a difference, and set the tone, but not over-used so that it gives customers a headache.

There is a design principle called ‘whitespace’.

It gives the elements in your website the room to breathe, and is proven to:

• Improve comprehension
• Increase focus and attention
• Engage users more

Whitespace.

Utilise it.

 

Secured Hosting (SSL Certificate)

An SSL certificate.

It is simple, to me as a web designer.

To you, it’s the little padlock on the sites you visit.

Whenever you get try to visit a website, to be hit with the red “this site might be malicious” sign – that’s simply a website without a security certificate.

Google deems them un-safe, and thus it will appear that “it is trying to steal your information.”

And that’s not good for your search engine results… or your user experience.

 

SEO Setup

You don’t have to be a complete genius and spend thousands to have some results in SEO.

It helps, but even a simple plugin on WordPress (Yoast SEO) has many benefits when set up correctly:

• Local search engine results
• Better presence across all google searches
• Integrates and shares better on Facebook
• Controlling how your pages are seen when indexed on search engines

I’ll be honest, you might not dominate the search engines for highly desirable key terms.

But you will look a hell of a lot more professional when people do come across your brand online.

And they will… in time.

 

Local Listings

Get your website link on all your profiles across the web.

Consistent information, including using your business (website associated) email address, phone number and  ensuring your website link is on your local listings, including:

• Yell
• Google My Business
• Rated People (or any other industry related listing service)
• Facebook / Social Media Profiles

Google My Business may be the most important as this allows business to confirm you are a real business and will assist in the website being ranked on local relevant searches.

How else are people going to find your website?

 

Monthly Updates (at least)

It is detrimental to the business, ignoring customers and not nurturing your website.

Could you imagine creating a Facebook page, and leaving it without any activity for months?

If this was a game of football, you would certainly want to play the team at your home ground if you had the choice.

Your website is your home ground.

Facebook and other social channels are not in your territory.

To bring people to your website, and have them engage with your brand, you need to give them a reason to visit.

Publish content that lasts forever and engages your target audience.

Rather than constantly spending money “boosting ads” on Facebook to reach people who may not even care about your service.

Remain consistent with monthly updates to your website.

Give people a reason to come back.

It works wonders in the long-run.

 

‘Call Us’ Button

Does this one need explaining?

Talk about increasing engagement from customers.

The best way to do that?

Show your contact information, let people contact you easily.

Just make sure you clearly display contact information on all devices.

Particularly if you are business-to-consumer service.

People are impatient.

We all have short attention spans.

And in many cases, we want need to be able to click, get on the phone, and have some assess our needs… immediately.

 

Seek Support

Your website is an extension of your business.

You want it to represent your business professionally.

The best way to make sure that happens?

Hire someone to create your website for you.

Save yourself the time and the headache.

And possibly the money.

Let’s face it…

We all know that having an inaccessible or poorly performing website can be costing your thousands in lost business.

The best way?

Get a pay-monthly website service.

That way, your web designer has an incentive to stick around…

You can build a long-term relationship and they will assist in the future, adapting your website to the needs of your business.

Does that sound like something you could get involved in?