It’s a modern day maxim that your website is today’s business card. That’s very true - for most of your customers, your site is their first impression of your business and services. It has to be crisp, professional, and informative.
Most people spend less than 10 seconds on a webpage. If they can’t find what they need in that time frame, you’ve lost them to the back button. How can you make sure your page stands out? Here are a few do’s and don’ts.
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DO
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DON’T
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Put your call to action at the top of your page
Example: If your customers can call you or request an online contact, then have your phone number and link prominent on the top of your home page.
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Keep all your relevant content “below the fold,” requiring scrolling to get to it
Example: You’ve buried your excellent ratings and reviews at the bottom of the page.
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Use white space to make your site scannable and easy to consume
Example: Think of your favorite web destination - it’s probably your favorite because it’s easy to navigate and get what you want quickly.
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Give into clutter in the name of fitting all your content on one page
Example: A page with an “About” section lets you tell your company story to visitors who are interested without them having to hunt for it.
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Make sure your site is optimized for mobile - many customers only view it via a mobile device
Example: If your site is not designed specifically for mobile, it will be an eye chart for visitors, and they’ll use that back button.
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Force your visitors to “perma-scroll” vertically and horizontally to get your information
Example: Putting important information on your services on your site in PDF.
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Keep your content fresh and update it regularly to help you rank higher in search engine results
Example: A blog that you update frequently.
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Make the search engines work harder to rank your site in their results
Example: Stale content, irrelevant content, and misleading claims can all get you dinged by Google.
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Present all the information your customer needs to make the call or fill out the form
Example: Show your successful projects - most visitors look to them to judge the quality of your work.
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Clutter your website with unnecessary widgets and features
Example: It can be really easy to add functionality to your website, but it’s easy to get carried away - less is more.
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