Site optimization built for user impressions
At Zephyr, we often encounter clients that have stale websites, but they usually don’t realize it. Between the ever-changing world of digital enhancements, new tools and even security, here are our top 5 tips to ensure your website is up to speed.
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What are you offering or selling?
Have you ever visited a website to learn more about a company and what they have to offer only to leave the site with more questions than you started with? Not only is it frustrating for you, but it’s likely a lost customer for the business in question. The first paragraph of copy for your website should clearly state what your business sells or offers, explained in a way that any type of user can easily understand. So be specific – if your business name has nothing to do with what you are selling, be extra clear. Tidbit #1: Identifying and mentioning your customer’s major “pain point” in the headline increases conversions by 31%. Tidbit #2: The human brain comprehends images 60,000 times faster than text. Essentially, one minute of video is worth nearly 2 million words. Use branded, engaging images and videos to grab (and keep) your visitors’ attention.
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Up to date content, design, and social media
Fresh—Frequently updated blogs, pages and videos entice visitors back to your site to learn what’s new. And don’t forget to use tags and good meta descriptions for your images so they search easily. Social—Make it easy for your visitors to share your content by placing social media buttons on the home and contact pages, if not all. Mobile—Customers and search engines insist upon mobile friendly websites. If your site isn’t built mobile-first or it lacks a responsive design, you’ve got some work to do.
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Customer Testimonials
Tidbit #3: 85% of your potential customers want to know about other customer’s experiences before spending any money.
Actively collecting testimonials and featuring them across key areas of your website (home, about and contact pages are a good start) helps to ensure them they’ve found the best possible service or product. Inviting existing customers to review your business online goes hand-in-hand with driving new business through referrals. You can even create a page on your website to send them to for quick review link access.
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Security
Google now flags websites that are not secure. Ask yourself these two questions to determine whether or not you need to make the switch:
- Does your website have text input fields in the form of contact forms, search bars or a customer login area?
- Is your website on HTTP://? Just check your website address.
If it’s a YES to both these questions, it’s time to install SSL to avoid any risks. If you don’t implement SSL soon, your visitors will see a “Not Secure” warning on visiting your site, encouraging them to quickly leave.
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Obvious contact information
Make sure your business contact information is easy to access on every page – usually at top right is best. Additional locations include the header and footer areas. Be sure to include your business address and phone number. Enable the phone number to be a link that users can simply tap from their phone.
Tidbit #4: DON’T include actual email addresses for staff on the site. This can lead to much unwanted spam. Instead, install a contact form that will route emails for you.
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Don’t have time to dig into all these tips but want your website to perform well? Contact the Zephyr team today for a website consultation.
