One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is having a set-it-and-forget-it attitude about their website. The websites of today are living, breathing entities that require nurturing, almost on a daily basis. Whether you have an existing website or are about to embark on launching your first site, there are some important aspects every business website requires.
The Story
Storytime is the new purpose of today’s websites. Consumers are no longer interested in the brochure style websites that are strictly business. Instead, they want to learn about who you are and what you can do for them. Interactive websites that tell your story will help to guide consumers into a world of self-directed discovery. They will experience your website in a manner that is pleasing and user-friendly, allowing them to learn and explore at their own pace.
The Lesson
Your story is important, but it has to have a moral. In other words, there has to be a purpose to the content that will educate visitors about your products and services in an engaging manner. You have to lead them to the end result you want without overwhelming, boring, or intimidating them with hard-sell tactics. Knowledge is key, so have an intriguing blog that’s filled with usable content that will resonate with visitors. The phone call, sale, or email inquiry will happen naturally if you teach them why they need you.
The Allure
When website design first became a thing, it was a scary prospect where every bell and whistle was thrown into the mix to wow and impress. That high dynamic website was overstimulating, loud, and overwhelming. Today’s web design uses a simplistic approach that builds intriguing imagery and uses straightforward text to invite customers to delve deeper into your site.
The Competition
Competitive research is a must for both website creation and website refreshes. Knowing what your competitors are doing can provide insight as well as an opportunity to do things better. See how they are getting their core message across and determine what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. You can correct their mistakes when you design your site. Do what they are doing right, but you will do it better.
The Purpose
Your core message, positioning, and unique value proposition have to be clear on your website. Understanding your business goals is also imperative to ensure your website is aligned with those goals. Your main purpose is, of course, to generate revenue. So that has to be the main purpose of your website as well. However, it has to be achieved with your own brand voice and goals in mind.
The Strategy
Last but not least, websites today are not just about design. There are many facets to a website that are required to help people find you. Your entire online presence should be considered including SEO, keywords, content, social media, ratings, and reviews.
In order to ensure all these important aspects are incorporated into your website hire a professional web development company to help grow your online presence.