In my web development business, I see a lot of outdated small-business websites. Many are designed and maintained by do-it-yourself small business owners who know that if their business isn’t on the web, they are virtually invisible. Often, they know that 85% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses. What they often don’t know is that a poorly designed and maintained website can do more harm than good. If you are considering making changes to your website, here are 3 of the most important features to focus upon.
1. Contact Information – Make it easy to contact you. This sounds so simple and self-explanatory, but it is surprising how many websites I see daily where the contact information is buried either at the very bottom of the page or somewhere within a website behind more than one layer of navigational clicks. Be sure to have an email address or phone number close to the top of each page, and have an online contact form that is easy to find from every page.
2. Mobile Responsiveness – Did you know that websites that don’t responsively resize to fit mobile screens are actually penalized by Google? If your website isn’t responsive, it will likely fall well below your competitors’ websites in a Google search. With mobile and tablet devices accounting for over 51% of internet usage worldwide, mobile responsiveness has become absolutely necessary.
3. Quality Design – Visually appealing web design that is easy to navigate enhances engagement. With 15 seconds or less to capture a visitor’s attention, good design can make or break the purpose of your website. Keeping a visitor on your site long enough to respond to a call-to-action should be the goal of every page.
Take a good look through your website. If your customers can easily reach you from every page, if they can do so on a mobile device, and if your design is pleasing enough to spur engagement, then your website meets the 3 minimum quality requirements. What are your thoughts? Let me know what tips and tricks you use to engage visitors. I want to hear from you! Get in touch!
Janice Grace is a web developer and digital marketing specialist with Webideation