Your website should be the crown jewel of your digital marketing efforts. It literally defines your business’ presence online. Unfortunately, not every company seems to understand that. Poor websites abound today. There are entire blogs dedicated to mistakes companies make when it comes to their websites, and not all of them are related to the design of the site itself.
Instead, many of them simply overlook the principles of good web design. West Palm Beach may be home to many different companies, but each has taken a very different approach to web design, so even just looking at the sites for companies that surround yours may not help you understand what to include. What are must-haves in the world of web development? These seven elements are options you simply cannot ignore.
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A Simple URL
When you contact a West Palm Beach web development company to help you design your company’s site, one of the very first things they will do is secure a URL for your company. When they do so, you’re likely to have at least some input into the process.
Don’t make this overcomplicated. Your URL should be simple to remember, easy for users to type into a web browser, and fit with your brand. Think about what you do, and ensure that your domain name matches that. If you’re not sure, your web design company can typically make some suggestions that could help you select the right option for your brand.
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A Professional Image
The moment a potential customer loads your site, they begin forming an impression of your company. Your site is literally your brand online, so ensure that it is as professional and as possible and cohesive.
You want something that looks professional, with colors, fonts, and images that reflect who you are (as well as good design principles). The last thing you want is a site that looks like it came straight out of the Internet in 1999. Work with your design team to build a carefully crafted site that feels like your brand is translated online.
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Straightforward Navigation
You’re likely to have quite a bit of content on your website, and that’s important (in fact, we cover that in the next point). Navigating that content, though, shouldn’t be complex. In fact, everything most customers want to see when they load your site should be right at their fingertips. Make sure your site layout is intuitive. If what your customers want is easy to find, they’re more likely to stick with you and stay on the page longer.
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Good Content
Almost every blog you read about web design is going to have at least a sentence or two about the importance of content. There’s a reason for that.
Content matters more than anything else, and it has for years. Content can be an easy SEO win, and continually adding content that is valuable for your users means they’ll revisit your site and maybe even link a few posts back from their own social media channels, giving you a valuable way to connect with others.
Create great content for your site from the very beginning, and build a content calendar that will keep users coming back on a regular basis to learn more about topics that are valuable to them.
Keep in mind that content today doesn’t just mean blog posts. Learn how to incorporate videos, photos, and more in your strategy to ensure you reach a wider audience.
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A Call to Action
Why are people on your site? Literally, what do you want them to do? If you don’t have a clear call to action, you may not be using this digital marketing powerhouse as well as you could be. If the goal of your site is to have them sign up for a free quote, make it easy to do so.
If it’s to buy from you directly, ensure adding products to the cart and checking out is simple. If you don’t tell users what to do, they likely won’t do it, so work to make certain that call to action appears clearly and often.
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Secure Hosting
Hacking is more common than ever, even for big, powerful brands. The last thing you want is to be part of that mess, as it could cost you money and customers. Work with your web design company to find a secure, trustworthy host that helps to keep hackers at bay and your site up and in front of customers as often as possible. The more secure your site, the more secure your business.
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A Way to Contact You
It may seem surprising, but many websites don’t list the contact information for the business. If you want them to become your customer, how are they supposed to get in touch with you? Make your contact information as easy to find as possible. If you’re a local business, you may even want to include a map to your location and business hours so they can stop by at their own convenience.
West Palm Beach Web Development Help Is Just Around the Corner
Whether you’re unsure how to incorporate these features into your site or you simply know it’s time for something different, we can help. At THAT Marketing Agency, we work to incorporate everything a potential customer needs to reach your page, stay there, and contact you when they’re ready to begin the customer journey. If you want personalized service and a website that truly is the best part of your digital marketing strategy, contact us today for more information.
