10 Elements Every Website Should Have
When someone visits your website for the first time, they form an impression, kind of like what happens at an interview or first date. In their mind, there is a checklist of things they favor or don’t, and in the end, they form an opinion about your brand. Obviously, you want them to come back, to give you their time and business.
So you have to ask yourself, “Is my website making the best impression possible?” If you hesitated for even a moment, you might be missing a crucial piece. To help you make the best website ever, we have chosen some elements that should not be overlooked.
10 Elements Every Website Should Have
1. User-Friendly Website Navigation
What is the number one, most essential part of any successful website? Clear and easy-to-use navigation. Even if you have the coolest, most innovative website and products available, people are not going to buy into what you’re selling if they can’t move around your website. Make sure the layout of the website is simple and well organized. You want everything to be as intuitive as possible. Don’t make visitors go on a scavenger hunt for business information or a contact page. Design a menu that takes people to pages that will answer their questions, and ensure that all navigation functions as it should.
Keep in mind that user-friendly web navigation is part of the overall user experience (UX). The UX plays a large role in how well your website ranks on search engines, so make sure you are putting enough attention towards it.
2. Responsive Design
Over the years, more people have taken to their smartphones to search the internet. So many, in fact, that mobile search occurs more frequently than searches from a computer. That means you need to design websites that look gorgeous both on a variety of platforms, including phones, computers, smart TVs, tablets, and so on. Without a responsive, mobile-friendly design, you could be hindering the visibility of your website.
3. Call-to-Action
Make the next step as obvious as possible. That includes telling people what they should do from here. The way you do that is with a call-to-action, or CTA. These actionable statements are made to persuade people to perform in some way. For example, you could say, “Call us today to schedule your free consultation,” or “Learn more about our website designers in Philadelphia today.” By strategically utilizing CTAs, you will find that more people subscribe and convert.
4. Contact Information
What is the most frustrating thing in the world? Needing to get a hold of someone from a business and not being able to find their contact information. You don’t want to put prospective customers in the same aggravating position, do you? Just like your concise menus and navigation, contact information should be visible on the homepage. The footer and header are two potential locations. Be sure to include a mailing address, phone number, and email address.
Putting this valuable information in a place where it can be easily found is comforting. Plus, it increases your credibility and makes it clear that you are a professional business. If you are worried that making your contact information readily available will have you stuck on the phone or computer all day, there is a quick solution to that: establish help hours, a live chat, or even a chatbot.
5. Blogs and News
Aside from having quality content throughout your website, you want to expand on content regularly. That doesn’t mean publishing new blogs every day. You can post something new once a week to keep people coming back for more.
The strategy to effective blogging revolves around asking a question and coming up with a detailed answer. Think about what your audience would need help with, or what answers they would be looking for, and write blogs on that topic.
6. Video
You can’t go wrong with video. Humans process visual information up to 60,000 times faster than text. That means you can do an introductory video of your brand that explains your back story or services quickly and effectively. You can make video versions of your blogs or Stories on Instagram. Such media makes it very easy for people to interact with you.
7. Social Media
Social media is so ingrained in our daily lives that it might seem silly to mention it. However, many brands forget to link their social media to their websites. Put your social media buttons or links in a conventional place where people can find them, such as the header or footer. There is also a benefit to having social media links. Increasing your following will increase engagement. The more people tracking your media, the more interest you generate, and the more business you will gain.
8. Clear and Consistent Branding
You want cohesive branding throughout your website. Stick with the same imagery and color palette. Select a group of fonts that work for your website, media, and business cards. You want consistent branding for a couple of reasons. First, it makes your brand more recognizable and memorable. Second, it establishes a sense of trustworthiness about your business.
9. FAQ Section
Consumers always have questions about products and services. By dedicating a page of those questions, you can better help potential customers understand your business, your mission, and your services or products. This will also put them at ease, because you come across as an authority in your industry.
10. Proof of Trustworthiness
One of the most important pieces of a great website is often overlooked, and that is things that help you build trust in your customers. Whether you are trying to sell a book, a seminar, a product, or a service, you need to establish your reputation and get people to believe that you are who you say you are and will deliver what they request. Sounds easy, but it takes a little more than a photo to convince people you aren’t going to swindle them.
This is where something called “social proof” comes in. This can be anything ranging from client testimonials, user-generated content (images of real people with your product), Google Maps reviews, BBB A+ ratings, association icons and certifications, awards, and news articles or press releases. Guarantees and warranties also help you build trust.
Bottom Line
Website elements combine to make your website into a remarkable marketing tool. Not only that, but having an effective website helps you gain momentum. By using the 10 elements we listed, you will see vast improvement in the overall design of your website and more engagement from potential customers.
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