Consider these elements when evaluating your website:
Layout is a Jumbled Mess
Is your website layout a hindrance to prospects looking for information?
How difficult is it to navigate past the home page?
- Design guidelines suggest there should be fewer than seven navigation buttons on your home page
How difficult is it for viewers to find the relevant content they seek?
- Design criteria indicates that the viewer should understand page content in 3 seconds or less
Is there too much content/too little on each website page?
- Either scenario will lead to an unsatisfactory viewer experience
Optimization for Mobile is Mission Critical
In 2015 Pew Research found that two-thirds of American adults have a smartphone. Mobile devices accounted for 51% of time spent on digital, surpassing desktops and PCs at 42%. This trend continues to grow rapidly.
Has your website been optimized for mobile devices?
- If not, you are offering a sub-par experience
- The viewer is likely to translate that negative impression to your perceived quality
Static Content Does Not Invite Prospects to Return
Typically 80-90% of website content is static; in other words information that always needs to be available and never changes: contact information, FAQs, forms, examples, etc.
Offering topical information or advice will entice prospects back to your website.
- Become the source for up to the minute information about your industry
- Interpret news events as they relate to your prospects
- Provide relevant seasonal information
Emotional Connection Must be Established
Creating an emotional connection provides reassurance that you are the right provider for them.
Digital content delivered by video has become the norm for creating an engaging experience.
- Cisco claims that by 2017 video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic.
- Nielsen states 64% of marketers expect video to dominate their strategies in the near future
- Video can increase the amount of time spent on your site by threefold
- If you haven't done so yet, open a You Tube account
Response Mechanism Needs to be Included
Too often websites do not include a call to action. Make explicit what next steps you want viewers to take. If you engage the viewer, he or she will want to know more about your organization.
Do you make it comfortable and convenient to communicate with you?
- Do you provide: phone number, live online chat, text messaging, Spanish translation?
Is there additional information available for viewers to request?
- Do you provide: digital brochures, e-newsletter, other materials?
Transform your website from a L-O-S-E-R to an effective tool for attracting prospects and delivering new clients to your business.