As any business owner knows, your website is the face of your business. More importantly, your website can be what drives traffic or it can be an afterthought. What kinds of things constitute a truly great website? Furthermore, is your website truly the most important part of your business?
What Defines a Great Website?
First and foremost, websites need to be functional and responsive. Sure, a website with tons of capabilities is great, but if it’s slow, buggy, or cumbersome, visitors won’t waste their time. With that said, the best websites strike a balance between functionality and responsiveness. Importantly, if your customers have to wait more than two seconds for a page to load, they’re going to move on.
Back up for a second. How are folks finding your page in the first place? The answer, of course, is either through your social media strategy or search engine optimization. Let’s assume it’s the latter. For small business owners, SEO is either your best friend or your best enemy. It’s also one of the most integral components of a successful website. It’s not only how prospective customers find your website, it’s how Google ranks it. Remember, Google drives over 90% of all search traffic.
Let’s not forget about design. A great website is not only aesthetically pleasing, but ergonomically designed. In other words, your site has to be both beautiful and captivating and easily navigable. The most important tenets of your site need to be front and center, or if not, easily found. Your customers are looking for an experience; don’t let them down!
How Much Does a Website Matter?
A solid online presence can improve your brand’s credibility. As such, 84% of customers trust businesses with websites over those without. Furthermore, an effective website can help customers with the first steps of the customer journey: problem recognition and information search. A truly top-notch website can help customers realize they need a product or service they might otherwise have overlooked.
Let’s say your website has a terrific online store. It’s easy to use, payment is safe and streamlined, and it even sends notifications to customers when hot products are in stock. You just found yourself a point of differentiation. Furthermore, if your website really stands out, it can do some of the convincing for you. Think about it-that can save you money on advertising in the long run!
If you don’t have a great website and your competition does, you’ve got a problem. But should you create your website yourself or turn to a professional web developer? Think about this: almost 30% of businesses don’t even have a professional website!
That means there’s an opportunity out there waiting for you! Get a leg up on the competition and make your website drive traffic for your business!
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