The majority, 64% of small businesses, already have a website, according to the 2019 figures of SBA. In 2021 that means there is still a significant number of companies yet to build their online homes. Sure, they might have rental apartments in the form of social media presence. Still, it takes a website for your website to be genuinely there online. The world is online, and not having a website translates to a significant revenue amount that you lose out on, not to mention a lack of brand awareness. But having just any website won’t be a panacea to your woes. You need to ensure that your websites possess certain qualities.
Why You Need A Website
But before we talk about that, let’s elaborate on the importance of having a website. It is something you can’t do without mainly due to the following reasons:
- Having A Website Need Not Be Expensive And Demanding
Suppose you are judicious in your choice of website design and development service that you hire. In that case, the task becomes easy and effortless. The professionals behind https://www.intoclicks.com/tucson-web-design/ say that websites are also relatively affordable when you compare the costs that come with traditional forms of advertising, both TV and print media. Further, you can make changes to your website look, feel, and functionality as time passes and your business needs change.
- It Helps In Getting New Clients And Customers
The primary vehicle through which most netizens come to know of your brand and its message and values is through your website. Websites acquaint with the service or product that a company or an individual offers. Your website also serves as the round the clock face of your business and attracts existing and potential customers. It will help you to book appointments and sell stuff all through the day and night.
- It Makes Your Product Or Service More Credible
Having a website serves as an instant boost to the credibility of whatever goods or services you offer for sale. With a suitably designed website, it becomes easy to make a favorable impression on potential clients and customers. You can easily highlight how your product stands apart from others in the market or how you are exceptionally competent for the services that you offer. A website is your online identity and makes you stand apart from other competing businesses or service providers.
- Control Over All Aspects Of Your Website
As many businesses realize, often too late, social media is a rented apartment or rather private community housing. The owners can throw you out at their discretion. It happens more often than you might think, and a single wayward post might cost you your social media account. Along with it all the customers and potential customers you have worked so hard to build up. The point is, you have little control over your social media presence in terms of content and appearance. In contrast to the case with your website, where you have full control. Such control lets you tell your brand story most effectively and prolifically.
- It Will Increases Your Business Reach
When it comes to reach, you can’t trump a website. It is there 24*7 for all the netizens of the world to visit. Such accessibility ensures a significant increase in exposure and sales achieved through tremendous reach in terms of demographics.
Qualities Of A Good Website
Remember the figures mentioned at the start of the article. The fact is the majority, 64% of small businesses, do indeed have a website. That means you must stand out or languish behind. One excellent way to ensure that your business stays on top of competitors and their websites is to have a good website. The phrase “a good website” refers to websites with the following fundamental qualities mentioned below.
- It Looks And Works Well
Keep in mind that your website is your face in the online world. It should reflect your company, its services or products, and your branding. Accordingly, it needs to appeal to your target audience in a professional and sophisticated manner. There are plenty of best practices to observe while designing your site. That deserves an article of its own. The main thing is that you should be able to convey your brand or business message through the design.
Functionality is as important as an appealing look when it comes to your website. It needs to function correctly, load fast, and all website elements need to work as a layman would expect them to perform. Again, website usability and functionality are vast fields in themselves. Remember to test your website yourself thoroughly as a single best practice for you to adhere to.
- Users Can use the Website With Ease.
The average attention span of a netizen is meager. Even a slow loading web page will cost you the loss of a large number of visitors. It is also doubtful that your visitor will try hard to get to the information they are looking for if it’s hard to find.
There are plenty of other options. Search engines use advanced algorithms to deliver another result that will satisfy their needs and expectations. Pay attention to such site characteristics or User Experience (UX). You also need to ensure that both browsers and searchers can suitably use your website. The last factor to mention with regards to usability is mobile-friendliness. You have two options in this:
- Dedicated mobile site versions
- Responsive design websites
The current mood amongst both designers as well as web users is towards responsive designs.
- Unique, Relevant, And Quality Content
You need to make sure your site and blog copy is free from plagiarism and provides users with the information they need. Blogging and content marketing, which essentially is copy or content with a strategy, is a great way to get clients. Of course, the copy needs to present such information in a way that appeals to the visitors.
- Ensure Contact Details Is Accessible Everywhere
If people can’t access your contact details with ease, it is improbable that the audience will try and seek it out. So, you must ensure it is easily accessible.
- Make Sure To Use Call-To-Action Buttons
You must chart out a path for the user to take according to your deliberate intention using call-to-action buttons. This will help to make clear what it is that you want the site user to do.
- Site Optimization For Search Engines And Social Networks
To get the best results from your website, you need to optimize it for search engines and social media. Ensure that the site structure and content conform to SEO best practices and that there are social sharing buttons with each piece of content.
The membership website
One of the best ways to increase your reach is by creating a membership website and offering exclusive content to members. This way you will have an engaged audience who are more likely to purchase your products or avail of the services that you offer. You may also include a blog, newsletter or a series of podcasts to increase engagement with your audience and keep them updated with the latest news and trends related to your business.
Building a website is a huge task that needs you to pay attention to several important factors. Many of these require specialized expertise and articles running to several thousand words. Hope this attempt at getting you acquainted with the fundamentals succeeds in making you aware of what you need to do and the things for which you need to watch out!