Your website is the digital soul of your company, providing insight about who you are and what you are about to potential new clients. Why then, are websites so hard to get right? With a few simple tips and tricks to revamp your online presence, you could very soon see the benefits and rewards that come from having a great digital identity.
- It takes forever to load.
As the need for technology, media and information grows ever stronger, our attention spans shorted and patience levels wear thin. If your website takes forever to load, you’re not going to get a lot of action from your customers. The flow loading time frustrates site visitors, especially mobile site users. Make it fast and snappy! Even a one-second increase can boost customer satisfaction by roughly 16%. Increasing your website’s optimisation should be at the top of your to do list if you want to start gaining more conversions online.
- It’s not mobile friendly
Isn’t it annoying when you have to zoom, drag and scroll across your phone with your fingers just to be able to see the website your trying to visit? Your customers think so too! Don’t just take our word for it though – ask Google. Google is forever making improvements to its search engine to benefit users. A big part of these improvements and development is the introduction of mobile friendly sites. So if your website isn’t compatible, you wont be ranked in organic search results. No matter how goo your SEO might be.
- Poor Navigation
When someone lands on your site, is it easy to use and navigate? Can they access what they need easily? Something so simple can have huge impacts on your online conversion rates. Make sure you have a clear headline, an actual navigation bar for your various pages, and most important of all, have a call-to-action. Users want to be able to interact with your site, or else they wouldn’t be there in the first place. Make it easy for them to act with direction and prompts.
- Excessive Pop-Ups
Need I say more? Whilst they may be great prompts to get people to subscribe to your newsletter for example, users do not want to be bombarded with constant pop-up windows and messages. Use them in moderation. Make the smart. Track them for effectiveness, and use inviting, positive copy.
- Autoplay Multimedia
Let users access content in their own time. Rushing them through an article they’re reading with a news headline video, or having music play in the background of your e-commerce site while they search online at work, are not positive experiences to have. Instead of your users fumbling for the mute button, give them the choice to play it in the first place. Do not force your videos on your users. I guarantee they will turn them off if you do.
- Stock vs. Original
Images are a must for any website. They make the website inviting to look at, and can help communicate what it is your business does. But don’t go overboard, especially with stock images. Yes they are handy and yes there is a lot of variety. But people can pick stock images from a mile away. So choose the good from the bad if you do have to use stock images. Genuine images taken of your business always work best.
- Contact Forms
Contact forms are a great way to generate opt-in email lists and gain valuable information form your engaged customers. But it’s all about two-way communication here. If users are navigating to your contact page, clearly they want to get in touch with you. So make sure you provide your details to them, whilst you ask for theirs in your contact forms. Make this information available, and let people get in touch with you via email, phone, or through social media and sharing buttons.
- About Who?
The About Us page on your site should do exactly as it suggest – tell the user about you, the business. If you fit air condition units, sell cars, or own a flower shop, don’t just tell people about what you do and how you do it. Tell them a story! The art of ‘storyscaping’ is a valuable tool to know. Harnessing this strategy to work for your business will aid in people being able to connect with your brand and story, than just searching for the services and products you provide.
Hubspot comments on how “Poor user experience can cause high page abandonment rates, low visitor-to-lead conversion rates, poor organic search listing positions, and a plain ol’ bad reputation”. We want to see you and your business succeed. So avoid these elements at all costs.
The graphics and web development team are a knowledgeable bunch! Put them to the test with a website upgrade of your very own. Get in touch today and experience the Chilli difference for yourself.
