We’ve seen our fair share of websites, and we’ve heard almost every website request in the world. But the most common thing we hear from new clients is something along the lines of: “I know my website isn’t great, but I’m not really sure what I need.”
And that’s something we can help with.
What is a website for?
Many businesses we talk to know that they need a website, but they’re not even sure why. They’ve just been told it’s important and that’s all they know. But, really, what is a website for?
It’s your online resume.
Most people will do a bit of research before making any purchase. Today, that research starts online. When someone Googles you, your website is your chance to make a strong first impression. It’s the tool that potential clients will use to evaluate you. It’s how you win (or lose) new clients. Not to mention that it helps build credibility for your business!
It’s a powerful lead gen tool
A good website should be generating leads for you. If it isn’t, it could be due to one of these issues: it’s not mobile-optimized, it has no lead capture forms, or there is no valuable call to action. You also need to be generating traffic to the site — for example by advertising, email campaigns or via SEO.
All of these are common issues we see on websites, and part of the reason that many businesses just don’t see the point in having a website.
What do you need to have on a website?
Now that you know what your website is for, what do you actually need to have on a good website? Here are the key elements:
Testimonials and About
For the most part, visitors to your website are trying to get a sense of whether or not they want to work with you. It’s important to build trust with your site visitors, and also give them a sense of what you’re like.
Too many businesses use cookie cutter bios and rely on outdated testimonials. But all that says to a potential new client is: “I’m not really taking this seriously.” Your testimonials should be recent, detailed, and (ideally) glowing. And your About page should actually express who you are, what it’s like to work with you, as well as why someone might choose you over the many businesses you’re competing against.
Strong Design and Site Performance
Your website is your first impression with potential clients. You need a beautifully designed website that will help you stand out from the competition. It needs to showcase who you are and what you do in a way that engages site visitors.
Your site also needs to be fast. Users lose interest very quickly if the site they land on doesn't load fast enough. This can lead to a high bounce rate and can damage your SEO, as well as losing potential customers! To increase load speed, avoid bulky video headers and large images. And by that, we don't mean size, we mean file size. Images on your site shouldn't be bigger than around 700kb to optimize for page load time.
Links to your Social Profiles
Are you active on social media? Do you share relevant content with your audience? Help people gauge how well — and active you are. Link to these pages so that your website and social media pages all form part of one cohesive strategy. Your entire online presence should be circular — linking to each other and eventually driving traffic back to your website.
Easy and Accessible Lead Capture
How simple is it to get in touch with you? What is your call to action? Everyone wants visitors to their site, but without capturing lead information, you can never follow up with interested customers. Your website needs multiple lead capture tools to make it easy for customers to reach you when they’re ready.
Next up: Read our article on "The value of PPC"!