It’s quite incredible how consumer taste changed when it comes to the Internet. It wasn’t so long ago that poor design and user experience weren’t really an issue for businesses trying to get ahead on the web, but in a remarkably short time, consumers have become used to certain standards.
And the unfortunate issue for entrepreneurs and business owners is that if you aren’t meeting those standards, your website is screaming ‘failure’ and letting your business down.
Today, we’re going to take a closer look at some of the key things you need to get your head around if you want a successful website that is suited to modern tastes – and shows off your business in the right light.
You haven’t tried
First of all, how much effort can you honestly say you have put into creating your site? Sure, it’s easy to get some free web hosting, download WordPress and use templates to create a website in a day or so. But that doesn’t mean you should.
In fact, it’s the sort of thing that consumers can spot a mile off today, so be prepared to have a deep think about your online presence. Invest some money and hire a web design company to help you out if needs be. You need to look professional, have a site that works in a way your customers expect, and does a job for your business – which is what we are going to go through next.
It doesn’t have a point
All businesses these days seem to have a website – it’s the done thing, after all. But you would be surprised at the number of website-owning businesses don’t actually have another reason to exist other than ‘everyone else has on.’ And this is a critical mistake.
Your website needs a reason to exist, and you need to work out what that reason is. Do you want to make more sales? Or are you using it to raise your exposure? Maybe you want to mine email addresses and find prospects? There are plenty of valid reasons for having a business website – just make sure you have at least one. Because if you don’t know, you can bet your visitors won’t, either.
It doesn’t direct people
Consumers these days like simplicity – and that means you need to make it easy for every visitor to your site to do what they want to do. And, most importantly, what you want them to do.
So, design your site, so it makes sense to people – look into UX and analytics to find out where things are going wrong and make the necessary improvements. Present all information clearly, too, and use visual clues to prompt your visitors to take the right actions. Call to action buttons are perfect for this, and even the language you use can have a compelling effect.
It’s insecure
Another way consumers are changing is that they are becoming more security conscious while browsing or buying from websites. And that means if you don’t have a secure site, they will just go elsewhere.
It applies to SSL and HTTPS encryption, robust security when making a payment, and even displaying security badges on your site. It’s what people expect, and if you don’t have it, your website will become a no-go area eventually.
