This blog article originally appeared on Next Page Brand Strategies' blog.
When I first began working with clients on developing strong, resilient branding, I was never quite sure where to even begin. Despite having worked in the digital marketing space my entire career, I still wasn’t exactly sure how the best approach to take when turning these business concepts into something tangible.
And so I did what any millennial has been conditioned to do: I Googled it.
The number one thing that continued to stand out was the need for a website, no matter how basic it was at its start. After all, how can my clients refer someone to their services or answer their initial questions without utilizing a central location as a reference point?
For my own personal website, I did my research about the pros and cons of the top three DIY website providers and finally chose one that best suited my needs. And from there, I dove into the design process, laying out a basic framework for my brand-new website. It wasn’t until I hired a professional web designer to overhaul my site a year later that I realized it had been missing quite a few crucial details - and potentially lost some vital leads in the process.
Now, as I work with a wide range of businesses, I continue to see similar issues pop up over and over again when it comes to their websites. To avoid falling into the same issues, here are five essential things your website needs in order to be effective for your business.
Clear Tagline that Hooks the Target Audience
First impressions are important, and sometimes a few seconds is all one has to spend on a website. Whether it’s an actual catch phrase or a well-formed statement, taglines say everything that need to be said precisely, and can hook your target persona immediately.
Intuitive Navigation
Is there anything more frustrating than landing on a webpage and not knowing where to find the information you’re looking for? The best websites are designed in such a way that your site’s visitors know exactly what to find anything they’re looking for and can easily navigate your website without frustration. That means using highly visible buttons to grab one’s attention quickly, similar navigation on each page of the site, and sticky menus for quick navigation back to your home page.
An Obvious Call to Action
Calls to action (CTA) help to tell your website visitors what to do next. A CTA can be anything from inputting an email address to download an attractive lead magnet like a white paper or eBook or taking a moment to fill out your contact form for a future conversation. A truly effective CTA draws your visitor’s attention and guides them through the lead generation process naturally.
Mobile Optimization
This may be one of the most important things to consider when building your website: is it able to be easily viewed on a mobile device? After all, it’s estimated that more than 2.87 billion people used a mobile device in 2020, so that is sure to grow in the coming years. If someone isn’t able to view your website on their smart phone, there’s a good chance they won’t bother to try again on their desktop. And Google has made it clear that sites not suitable for mobile viewing won’t rank very well on the search engine.
A Regularly Updated Blog for Organic SEO
Regularly updating long-form content on your website can be the key to organic SEO growth. Google loves longer content such as blogs because it offers value to users. Websites that are regularly updated signal that it is alive and providing useful, fresh content. This also encourages search engine algorithms to index your website more regularly and helps improve your ranking over time.
In 2021, it’s essential to have a space online that fully represents your brand and offers potential leads a place to explore more about your business before taking that important next step. See how Next Page Brand Strategies can help you to define your brand’s strategy and put pen to paper to get started.
Comments