There is no more powerful or cost effective way to promote your business than via the Internet. The key is not just to have a website, but to develop a website that delivers an intuitive, efficient and enjoyable 'customer journey' providing the relevant and up-to-date information they need in the shortest possible time.
Your website should always be under constant review to get the very best out of it. Technology evolves and outdates at a rate of knots and the likelihood is that your organisation will change too.
There are hundreds of reasons why your site might need a re-fresh, but here are just six questions to ask yourself ...
- Is your website layout and navigational structure clear and organised?
Your website is a reflection of your organisation. If your site appears well organised, professional and consistent and contains helpful, up-to-date information, then that's how you will be perceived. Does every part of your website function as it should do, or have some areas become outdated and unnecessary? - Is your content relevant?
Visitors to your site are looking for useful information, and often, the solution to their problems. A refresh of your website will allow you to re-define how you communicate your message.
Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and consider how you can improve the 'customer journey' you are delivering for them. And don't forget that in today's world, you only have a couple of seconds to engage new site visitors.' further, while encouraging the 'wrong' kind of visitors to leave your website.
- Does your website use authentic photography?
It cannot be overstated enough that original, authentic, consistently styled photography helps create quality, credibility and alignment across a brand. While using generic stock images might seem like a cost effective option, it could be detrimental to your business in the long run if overused and if the images don't accurately reflect your organisation. The same goes for poor quality photography. Invest in professional photography and you will reap the benefits! - Are you making effective use of Calls to Action?
A call to action or CTA is a link that you place on your website with the aim of encouraging prospective customers to complete an action on a landing page. Many older websites are missing out on using crucial CTAs that convert visitors to leads and ultimately customers. Do an audit of your website and make sure that you have your CTAs clearly highlighted throughout your website.
And, dont' forget to ensure that your contact details are clearly visible on every single page of your site too.
- Is your website responsive and mobile friendly?
It's official - we spend more time online on our phones than we do on our desktop computers and laptops! Responsive website design has now been around for a while now and allows websites to scale up and down to adapt to the size of screen it is being viewed on. It is common practice and you are likely to be driving potential prospects away if yours is not up-to-date. Make sure that your website is responsive and mobile friendly. - Is your website fast enough?
How fast your website loads plays a major part in visitors staying or leaving your site, never to return! Use Google Page Speed Insights to discover how long it takes for your site to load and suggestions to remedy or improve on loading times. Image size can often be a major culprit here, so please read our Blog article on best SEO practices for images.
