If you are a small business owner looking to grow your business, then it’s time to take a closer look at your website. Your website is your main online marketing tool. It’s also the place where most customers will discover your offerings.
For this reason, it’s vital that your website stand out among competitors, establish authority, and help potential customers make an informed decision about your business.
We’re going to discuss 9 secrets to a brilliant website to help you attract more customers to your practice today.
1. Great Copy
Website copy is one of the first areas that businesses should focus on when improving their website. Your website copy needs to be crisp, clean, and concise. Website copy is the core information needed to help visitors make an informed decision about your business.
That being said, web copy has a high level of importance on your website because it communicates to visitors what you have to offer in the most compelling way possible.
Companies only have a small window of opportunity to capture their visitors’ attention. This is why your copy should always be easy-to-read, relevant, and clearly communicate what you’re offering potential customers and why they should care about your business.
Unfortunately, many businesses don’t spend enough time on the information they provide on their website. When this happens, visitors begin to form a negative perception of the company. Things like spelling, punctuation, and grammar matter. Be sure to take the time to read over all of your site’s copy to correct it for error and ensure that the information is engaging.
2. Readability
Just as great copy is important, readability is important as well. More often than not, visitors will quickly leave a web page if the information is not easily readable. This results in the visitors going to a competitor’s site who will provide a better user experience.
To improve readability, it’s best practice to include large fonts on your website and to ensure all information is easy to skim. Large font makes for a better reading experience.
Along with this, it’s a good idea to make sure there is a contrast between text and your website’s background-color for improved readability. Your website should also utilize sub-headings and bullet points as needed. This will help visitors scan the most important information a lot easier and more quickly.
You should also avoid long sentences and opt for short sentences instead, as this is easier to read and absorb. White space is also beneficial in improving readability for users. When a website doesn’t have enough white space, even the simplest information can appear overwhelming. White space helps break up content for the user and will likely result in more engagement.
3. Intuitive Navigation
Poor navigation is a common problem for many website owners. When your website has poor navigation, it makes it difficult for visitors to find the information they’re looking for or the information you want them to find. Most visitors will not spend their time searching for the right tab, either. They will begin their search query over and find themselves at a competitor’s website.
However, intuitive navigation encourages visitors to explore your website, which gives them an opportunity to learn your products and services better. The more time you can get a visitor to remain on your website, the more trust you’re able to build.
You can improve site navigation by doing things such as providing a variety of navigation options, making all navigation clear and simple, and prioritizing your pages.
4. Incorporate a Strong Color Palette
You may not realize it, but color plays a significant role in how your website is perceived by visitors. Website color is a powerful tool that is used to communicate a message, attract attention, create desire, and even drive conversions.
In color psychology, it is learned that color can create different reactions and even encourage different behaviors in people. This is why many businesses spend a great deal of time analyzing which colors work best for their business. For instance, the color red can trigger the feeling of hunger, while the color green is tied to nature and health.
With that said, it’s a good idea to spend some time thinking about what you want your business to communicate to your target audience. This will help you choose the right color palette that best represents your business.
5. Professional Custom Photography
Website copy helps businesses communicate their message to visitors. However, photography plays an essential role in the overall effectiveness of a website. Incorporating professional custom photography will improve the representation of your company and help you communicate effectively to potential customers.
Photography that is captivating not only draws visitors to your website but keeps them engaged long-term. Poor quality photos usually result in visitors clicking away instantly. This not only communicates that your site isn’t professional, but it says that you aren’t really invested in your business.
It’s also a good idea to invest in custom photography vs stock photography. Custom photography is made unique to your business and feels more authentic. Stock photography, on the other hand, may not feel as personalized and won’t have the same effect.
6. Give Back
You don’t want visitors coming to your website to only leave with nothing. Your website is the perfect opportunity to give something back to them before letting them make their exit.
You should always use your website as an opportunity to be inspiring, entertaining, and knowledgeable. Potential customers will appreciate this, and they will take note of the kind of experience you provided them.
Essentially, you want to show potential customers that you not only care about their needs but that you have industry authority. If you consistently give back to your visitors, they will thank you for it by becoming loyal to your brand.
It’s a good idea to take a look at your customer profile and think about their needs and interests. This will help you determine what kind of information is useful for your audience.
7. Call-to-Action
You’d be surprised at how many websites don’t see the results they desire due to no solid call-to-action. But call-to-actions are an integral element on a webpage.
Simply put, call-to-actions acts as a signpost that tells visitors what they should do next. It’s never a good idea to assume that a visitor knows what the next step in the process should be. By leaving the next action up for assumption, you increase your chances of visitors abandoning your website as quickly as they came.
Instead, a call-to-action creates the perfect opportunity to move visitors down the sales funnel. You want to be able to communicate with potential customers at all times no matter what stage they are in the buying journey.
Do you want visitors to read another article? Or do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Whatever you decide, be sure that your call-to-action is short, has clear benefits, actionable text, and creates a sense of urgency.
8. Fast, Safe, and Secure CMS
CMS stands for Content Management System and is a vital part of your website. It is a software application that allows users to build and manage a website without the need to code it.
A CMS allows site owners to create, manage, modify, and publish content with ease. A CMS also allows site owners to customize the design and functionality of their site by downloading or purchasing templates.
CMS platforms offer excellent built-in features that will enable you to attract more people to your website. For instance, many CMS platforms come equipped with SEO features and extensions, allowing you to do things such as customize page titles and meta descriptions, add image alt text, and create 301 Redirects.
9. Video
In a time when keeping your audience engaged is so important, video is more relevant than ever before. Today, people gravitate towards storytelling and want to feel an emotional connection to businesses they invest in. Video is a great opportunity to do this as you can get more personal and transparent with your audience.
Since video content is one of the most engaging forms of content, you can expect people to remain on your website a lot longer. The longer you can get people to stay on your website, the more trust you are able to build.
Another great thing about video content is that videos are fast and convenient. Videos help you get straight to the point and allows visitors to get the information they need to aid in the decision-making process.
Video content should be short and informative. You want to keep people engaged, but you don’t expect your visitors to have a long attention span. If you have a lot of information to share, it may be a good idea to break the topic up into shorter videos as to not overwhelm your visitors.
Final Thoughts
Web design has a huge impact on the overall success of your website. If you are a small business owner looking to grow your business, it’s time to start reevaluating your website and ensure you have everything you need for the best performance. Remember, the first impression means everything in business. Take these 9 secrets into consideration to help you improve your website today. Contact us today for a website evaluation.
