Every business needs a website in order to help with visibility, brand awareness, sales and generating leads. It’s a crucial tool and investment that shouldn’t be underestimated or overlooked.
Consumers in the UK tend to do research online before buying. In fact, 76% of Brits will look online to get information about a product or service, or to get inspiration before making a purchase. If you aren’t positioning your business online in some way, you could be leaving money on the table.
It’s more than just being online though, as consumers are pretty tech-savvy and can spot a poor-quality website from a mile away. Here is some insight into what makes a website successful.
- It should fit in with your brand strategy
Websites are ten a penny unless they’re strategically thought out. You should have a brand strategy for your business, so consider how your website will factor into that strategy. Ask important questions like:
- How does our website fit into the bigger picture?
- What goal(s) do we want to achieve with our website?
- Do we want our customers to be able to purchase through our website?
- What kind of experience are we offering our customers with our website?
These will all help determine what kind of website you’re going to have, whether it’s for ecommerce or simply brand awareness, and give it some direction. Without direction, you may find it’s much more difficult to see success, and your website may actually hurt your brand.
- It should load quickly
Slow-loading websites do nothing but encourage your visitors to leave the page. Your website should load within two seconds, not only because people have no patience for slow websites and will leave the page, but also because site speed is a ranking factor for Google. A fast website means good user experience, which shows that your site is good quality and will see more success than one that loads too slowly.
- It should be designed well
A well-designed website can make all the difference for user experience. There should be a clear purchasing path for your visitors, from start to finish, and it should be easy for them to navigate. You want to make it as simple as possible for them to find what information they’re looking for and to be able to make a purchase.
Furthermore, any web apps or functionalities you have should work perfectly. There is no time for glitches or bugs when it comes to your brand’s website, as it can deter sales or reflect poorly on your brand. You can use a company like Digivante to test your website’s functionality to make sure everything is working right.
- It should be secure
Security concerns online are top-of-mind and protecting your customers’ personal data and your company’s data from hackers is essential. If your website isn’t secure, it can be blocked by search engines and display a warning to visitors when they attempt to enter your site. This will usually scare off most of your traffic, preventing anyone from even making it to your products or brand messaging. With an updated SSL certificate, you can ensure your website is protected and safe for people to visit and purchase from.
- It should be mobile-friendly
More than half of web traffic comes from mobile users, so make sure your website is responsive and has a good mobile experience. It used to be that desktop users were the dominant traffic, but in recent years it’s flipped, and mobile user numbers are continuing to climb. The mobile experience should be a main consideration rather than an afterthought to help the success of your website.
