So, you’ve already got your own website. That’s great! (and if you don’t even have one yet, boy, do I have an infographic to show you)
But, in order to meet the needs of your visitors, your website needs to nail these 5 things really well:
#1 User Experience
This is the #1 most overlooked and neglected aspect of small business website design. Everything, and I mean everything, about great web design comes down to one thing: user experience.
We are bombarded by information on a daily basis. Our attention spans have shrunk so much that we actually have a better chance of holding the attention of a goldfish.
If your visitors aren’t having a crazy memorable experience when visiting your website, they won’t come back. And they definitely won’t buy whatever it is you’re selling.
Don’t use popups, notifications, and other ridiculous gimmicks. Put your user first. Think about what you would like to see if you were in their shoes.
#2 Design
Here’s the thing about website design: it doesn’t have to be complicated.
So many professional web designers pour their heart and soul into creating a piece of art worthy of hanging in the Louvre. And that’s why website design often costs so damn much.
Modern website design needs to be:
- simple
- clean
- minimal
- beautiful
It needs to convey a clear and powerful message, without over-complicating things. And, most importantly, your website needs to tell visitors exactly what they need to do.
#3 Content
If user experience is the skeleton, and design is the muscle, then content is the heart and soul of your website.
Your content needs to move people. It has to make them feel things. Your words, images, videos, and sounds need to come together to tell a compelling and human story.
In short, you need to be a great story teller.
I can’t tell you how many websites nail the user experience and design, only to fall completely flat on content. And I don’t blame them. Creating this type of content is an art.
#4 SEO
SEO has changed a lot.
Google is constantly evolving their algorithms to give more importance to, you guessed it, the user experience. Gone are the days where you merely stuffed your website with keywords, submitted it to a few big directories, and called it a day.
Now, Google is paying more attention to how visitors are navigating your website. Metrics like bounce rate and time spent on page are more important than ever. And if you want people to stick around, you need to have killer content.
Everything comes full circle.
It is possible to get on the first page of Google for pretty much anything. It just comes down to how much time and money you’re willing to invest.
#5 Security
As the world continues to move everything online, and with major hacks plastering headlines on a weekly basis, it’s never been more important to ensure your website is secure.
If you’re selling stuff on your website, this is simply non-negotiable.
Google will even start to penalize websites that don’t have the proper security features installed.
