Secrets of a Great Website That All Business Owners Should Know
It’s no secret that small businesses have to have an online presence to keep up with today’s consumers. However, it is not merely enough to launch a site and let the internet takeover. Today, the IOMMI Designs blog uncovers a few of the lesser-known aspects that make a website successful and sustainable.
Website Speed
We all know the frustration of clicking on a link only to have the page lag while it populates information or loads images. Make sure that your website is faster than the competition, which starts with scaling your images to something more browser-friendly. To resize image online, use photo resizing software. Your photos can then be re-uploaded to your site for faster speeds without sacrificing image quality.
Payment Options
Your payment options matter now more than ever, especially when you run an e-commerce site. In a world where customers are used to being able to pay digitally, your site must be able to take everything from credit cards to payment processing programs, such as PayPal. If you don’t yet have the budget to commission a professional website design, you can use free and paid tools, such as the ZenBusiness website builder.
Search Engine Optimization
You’ve probably heard of search engine optimization (SEO) before. But, what is it? SEO is a combination of actions that make your website more visible and friendly to online searches. OptinMonster explains that speed is one factor, but there is much more that goes into having an SEO-friendly website than quick-loading images. Your site should be mobile, secure, and filled with optimized content, including blog posts and articles to keep your site fresh and interesting.
User Experience
Your website has to be appealing and easy to understand. An exceptional browsing experience is found on sites that are responsive and intuitive. They must also be appealing enough that customers are compelled to click through from your homepage to your products, services, or blog (Google notes that having a high incidence of visitors that don’t click through is fine on a personal blog or single-page site).
Minimal Distractions
Your website should be attractive, but it should also be straight to the point and lack distractions, such as pop-up ads and autoplay music. The Bureau Of Internet Accessibility explains that autoplay is more than just an annoyance, it can also cause issues for people with certain types of disabilities. Further, automatically playing videos, especially ads, are intrusive and unprofessional.
Bonus Business Tips
In addition to those things listed above, a few general business actions that can keep your profits at their peak include:
- Know when to walk away. Even if you have the most successful website in your industry, it sometimes makes sense to sell your business and its related online real estate for profit. If you’re not sure what you’ll do afterward, consider going back to school to earn a degree online – find an accredited institute that won’t break the bank or eat up all your profits.
- Maintain a consistent brand. All of your branding material should be consistent. This means having the same logo, customer service, and message across all platforms, from your website to the uniforms your employees wear. Remember, your brand lives in the minds of your customers. If you’re not consistent, they will look for a competitor who is.
There is no perfect website and no perfect business. But, if you keep up with your site, your business will be better. The website success secrets listed above are just the tip of the iceberg. Your web developer can walk you through other subtle nuances that will help your brand capture its share of the digital world.
Author: Chelsea Lamb of businesspop.net
Image via Pexels