In many instances, a website is a customer’s first impression of a business. Having a custom website that properly reflects the company is extremely important for any business in today’s digital world. From fonts and colors, to graphics and illustrations, a website needs to be a cohesive visual representation of a business. Like all things in the digital landscape, website trends are constantly changing. Older websites that are not mobile friendly can be an instant turn-off to potential clients, and will rank lower on search engine results. Same goes for websites that aren’t secure, properly maintained, or follow best practices. Websites should be viewed as an employee that works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days promoting the business, and business owners should make sure their website is set up properly in order to maximize their potential.
Every aspect of a website should be designed to make things easier for the end-user. A website could be aesthetically pleasing, but visitors and potential clients will leave if it is difficult to use. In fact, 89% of them will go to a competitor’s site after a poor user experience. Here are a few things that make for a hassle-free website:
Mobile Responsive
The way a website appears should change based on the device a user is viewing it on. Users on their phones should not have to shrink or expand windows in order to read content on their phones. With over 61% of mobile searchers being more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site, you can’t afford to have a clunky mobile rendering.
Fast Load Times
Each year, businesses lose roughly $2.6 billion in revenue due to slow-loading websites. It’s a fast-paced world we’re living in and I have personally closed out of sites and went elsewhere because a site was loading too slowly. Increasing your website speed by just 1 second could increase your conversion rate by 7%.
Hamburger Menus
A hamburger menu is the three lines you’ll see in the website’s upper right or left corners. These are predominantly seen while using a mobile device, but they can also be found on desktop as well. When clicked, this menu opens up to reveal a list of available pages on the site. This makes for a much cleaner view when space is limited.
Clear and Relevant Call-to-Action Buttons
One of the primary functions of a website should be promoting a business to people interested in what that business has to offer. Converting them from website visitors to customers is how River Valley Media Group builds websites. Having easy to find call-to-action buttons on a site, will help gather information about visitors, enabling businesses to build a relationship with them. They can also help guide visitors to the content they want.
Our web design team at River Valley Media Group has built hundreds of websites. Give us a call or fill out the form below if you have any questions about having a new website built or regarding your current website.