No matter what they're all about, all successful businesses today have some things in common. We're living in the digital age, so an effective website is one of those things. It has become a marketing tool you need to have to grow and even stay afloat. But, of course, you can't just know what the characteristics of a successful business website are, and the chances are that you don't have enough time to look at all the sites on the web and figure out what they all have in common. So you need someone to tell you what you need to do if you want to get close to their success, and that's why we're here today.
A good website can help you build your audience, increase visibility, and get more sales. If you invest in it, you'll lose far fewer prospects and start converting customers effortlessly. But how to get there? What traits should you look for to make your site stand out and resonate with the people?
Let's take a look.
Fast loading speed
We all hate slow-loading websites. We value our time too much, and we're used to accessing all the pages as soon as we click the link. So, if your site can't deliver such performance, people will leave it before even seeing your content.
According to experts, if a site doesn't load for three seconds, that puts out a red flag, and there's no way that a user will wait more than eight seconds to see the page they clicked on. Hence, you can't overlook the speed and go for better aesthetics. There's no point in creating a beautiful website if no one will ever see it because it takes too long to load.
Luckily, tools like Google PageSpeed Insights will help you fix the errors and optimize your speed. They'll give you your score and suggestions for what you should work on if you want to improve it.
Responsive design
The next thing all good business websites have is responsive design. It's a way of programming your website to look its best no matter what device you use to access it. It will recognize the screen size it's loaded on and adjust, giving the user the ideal experience. They won't have to zoom in or out to see your content, and they'll stay for longer.
Now, you want to adopt responsive design because more and more people are using their phones to search the web. And with so many different models out there, you can't create a website version for every device. You need it to be smart enough to do it on its own. Moreover, Google favors responsive sites over those that aren't.
Of course, just making your site responsive isn't enough. You'll still have to find the right way to manage it. You'll add new pages all the time, and they all must perform the same as the old ones. On top of that, you'll have to update your code now and then to ensure there are no security issues. It's a lot of work, but proper management is one of the characteristics of a successful business website.
Quality Content
Marketers love the phrase ''Content is king'', and they love it because it's true. If you don't have interesting articles, videos, or even photos to offer to your visitors, they won't come to your website, no matter how well you promote it.
And if we dive into it further, it becomes clear that you need content for both social media marketing and SEO. Here's why:
Social media is all about sharing the content that communicates your brand message. If you have nothing to share, you have nothing to draw your social media audience to your website.
SEO will get your site higher on the SERPs by ranking the content on your site. But, again, if you have no content, you won't have much to rank for. Thus, not many people will see your website on the search result pages.
Therefore, you need content if you want to generate organic traffic. It must be well-written and relevant to your audience. Think about what your customers would like to know about your business or industry, then teach them that. If you're not sure about it, ask them what you should write about. Trust us — they'll be happy to tell you.
Attractive design
The attention span of an average consumer these days is very short. Hence, you can't expect them to sit there and read through three big blocks of text if you can explain what you want through a simple picture.
So, you want to use images and other graphic content to guide users and make them feel more involved with your pages. It's one of the top global web design solutions, and to keep up with big names, you have to incorporate them.
Of course, don't put images on your website just so you can say that you have them. Make sure they're compelling and in sync and style with the rest of your website. Pay special attention to your product photos and brand logo at this point. If these two look like they don't fit, it'll put people off.
Easy to use
No one will like your site if it's not easy to navigate through and use. Even if it's complex underneath, it must appear simple and user-friendly. To achieve that, use simple HTML or JavaScript menus. These appear the same on all browsers, so there won't be any fuss.
Moreover, try not to use fancy words and keep all the names clear. Don't forget about your CTA buttons either, and think about adding a search feature if you don't have it already. It'll help you retain more visitors, as it'll be easy for them to find whatever they need on your site.
Business information
Building a new website and figuring out how to successfully market it is always exciting. However, be sure not to forget about the basics in the process.
When they see a new name and brand they never heard of before, people will want to learn more about it. So, it's a good idea to create a whole section on your website that will deal only with it.
List your contact info, address, email, company description, and all of your business details in one place. Make it as easy to find as possible, and allow users to call you right from your website. They'll find it convenient, and you'll get more prospects thanks to it.
Conclusion
And there you have it, all the characteristics of a successful business website in one place. Make sure your site has them all, and you can expect more leads, more sales, and more revenue this year. With some luck, you might even become the industry leader soon.
Meta description: Do you know the characteristics of a successful business website? If you don't, you aren't giving your company a chance to shine.