A company without a website may as well not exist as far as most consumers are concerned. A website provides a measure of legitimacy and professionalism that cannot be overlooked, especially when there are so many competitors vying for the customer’s loyalty. Does your website measure up?
The Why
Why are your customers on your site? Are they looking to browse items and ultimately make a purchase? Are they looking for more information and potentially seeking to make an appointment, get an estimate, or make some other kind of request? It is crucial that your website’s format meets the user’s needs. Regardless, your website should be easily navigable and contain appropriate pages such as “About Us” or “FAQ”.
Your site should also be mobile-friendly so that consumers on the go can have easy access to information about your business. Your website can be responsive, meaning it will automatically adjust to various screen sizes or you can utilize a mobile-ready site for those on portable devices.
The What
What is your site doing for the customer? Make sure your site’s purpose is clear and is appropriate to the industry. Information should be easy to read for the consumer as they will not dedicate too much of their time on your site. Color scheme and font should not clash with your logo or your business’s colors and your color palette should contrast with the text color. Pick a font and color scheme combination and stick with it throughout your site in order to maintain a clean streamlined look that conveys professionalism. Consider using a Sans Serif font such as Arial that makes for easy reading on screens. Try not to over-clutter your site with too much text and use images to draw attention and provide variety.
The How
How does your site convey information and appear aesthetically? Images on your site should be crisp and high quality as well as relate to your business. Overly stock-y photos, while excellent quality, can seem fake and not as authentic. Be sure consumers know how to contact you from the site by providing information like a phone number, email address, and business address. The 3 click-rule is essential in web design: your user should have to use no more than 3 clicks to find the information they are looking for. This means not burying information under layers of pages off of the home page. Use an ‘F Pattern’ design, meaning convey information in order of importance, i.e. left to right and top to bottom, or the way we read. Use a grid layout to keep your site neat and orderly and easy for the eye to follow.
If your site doesn’t follow these basic guidelines, you may want to consider a re-design. Use a professional web design agency that will ensure your site is professional, easy to follow, and appealing to consumers.