If you want to run a successful business, you have to start working on building your online presence. And, as you may already know, a big part of it lies in setting up a great website. You’d think that doesn’t sound too complicated. After all, we live in a digital world and have a ton of resources at our disposal to create a site from scratch in no time. But that’s only partially true. While building a site is definitely a lot easier than it used to be back in the day, today’s websites are also a lot more complex than their predecessors. And even if you have access to all the right tools, you also have to know how to use them and put all the pieces of the puzzle together if you don’t want your site to look like it was designed by a rookie.
The bottom line is that a lot of people think website design is simple and end up with subpar results. That’s why the internet is filled with poor-performing websites that don’t do any favours to the businesses they represent. If you don’t want to join their ranks, you should do your homework and learn about the main boxes that a good business website has to tick. So, check out this quick guide on how to build an effective business site and start taking notes.
Let the World Know What you Do
There’s nothing more frustrating than landing on a site and not being able to figure out what they offer. Many times, web designers get so caught up in aesthetics and creating interesting designs that they forget about functionality. Your site serves a clear purpose – to connect customers to your business. If people can’t understand what your business has to offer from the very first glance, they won’t stick around for too long to decipher the mystery. Avoid confusing your potential customers by creating a site that sends out a clear message.
Keep the Simple Things Simple
Certain site elements are meant to be simple, so there’s no need to overcomplicate them in an effort to stand out from the rest. There’s a lot of room for creativity in website design, but you have to know where you should apply it. So, when it comes to site address or contact information, the adage simplicity is the best policy that always applies. It’s going to be a lot easier for people to remember your site if it doesn’t have a complicated miles-long name. Similarly, you should include business contact information at the bottom of every page so visitors don’t have to wander around the entire site to find it.
Optimise for Mobile
It’s true that we live in a digital era, but more than that we live in a mobile era where our smartphones have become our most trusted companions, guiding our way through the world. That means most people will not use their laptops or desktop to navigate the internet and access sites. They’ll rely on their portable devices like tablets and phones for that. This stresses the importance of optimizing your site for mobile. A site that displays well on all mobile devices will attract more customers than one that’s unoptimized, so mobile optimization is non-negotiable if you want your business to thrive.
Ensure Clear Navigation
No one enjoys using a site that feels like a labyrinth, where you have to click through multiple pages and links in order to find what you’re looking for. That’s why you need to create an easy-to-understand menu that allows users to explore your site with zero hassle. There are multiple ways to create a menu, so if you’re not sure which one would be best for your business website, you can get professional advice at dpdk.com/webdesign-agency/san-francisco. What matters the most when creating your website is to make it as intuitive as possible and organise your pages in a manner that makes sense, so users can enjoy a smooth and seamless experience.
Be Consistent
It goes without saying that you also want to add interest to your website and create a visual appeal through design elements. However, make sure you don’t go down the slippery slope of adding too many elements from page to page to the point where nothing makes sense anymore. While experimenting and being innovative is good, you also have to be consistent when creating a website. You should stick to the same colour palette and design schemes throughout the site to create a sense of continuity and ensure a professional look.
Include Calls to Action
Just like customers don’t like to spend ages looking for the information they need on a site, they also don’t like to guess what they have to do on each page. That’s where calls to action come into play. Each page on your site has a purpose and that purpose has to be stated through strong calls to action that tell visitors what action they need to take. So, instead of filling screen space with useless fluff, get straight to the point with adequate calls to action. That’s a sure way to retain visitors and increase conversions on your business site.
Focus on Content
Last but not least, pay attention to the content you post on your site. A website serves as a source of information first and foremost, so it has to send out relevant messages and capture your client’s attention. Therefore, you need to create compelling content that meets the requirements of your current and potential clients. Think about what your customers would like to read when they land on your site and create a content strategy that fulfils those needs, or better yet, hire a specialised agency to do it for you.
