Staying up-to-date and current with today’s commercial website design standards is necessary for a successful website. It’s important for your website to generate leads and to stay a step ahead of your competition.
Responsive Web Design
Every business website needs to be a responsive website that works with every type of device that connects to the internet. You do not want to lose a conversion just because you have an outdated website that is hard to follow and cannot be viewed well on a small screen. Over 50% of web searchers view websites on smaller screens now. More and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to search the web.
Call to Action Button or Form
Every website needs a call-to-action tagline, a call-to-action button, and a form to collect user data information. The call-to-action form should include an ask a question or comment section so you’ll know immediately what your possible new client’s needs are.
Geolocation, Personalized Content, and Browsing History
Personalized content is very important for e-commerce businesses. This type of web design will display recently viewed products that can lead to new and repeat sales for your business. More and more users come to expect a website to be more personalized to what they are searching for. Geolocation falls into this category because users are most likely to search for a business that is close by. Custom content that is personalized for a user returning to your website and close to your business can increase conversions for a better ROI (return on investment) for you.
SSL Certificate
SSL Certificates are more of a web standard and a total necessity these days. A potential customer and possible conversion could be turned away immediately by reading the “this site may not be safe” warning screen on their device. SSL Certificates authenticates your website’s identity and gives the visitor security when they are thinking of purchasing products and services from your company.
Availability and Accessibility
This is more than a trend; it is an easier way for those who have disabilities or special needs to access your website. This is a must for your website business, it provides good customer service and a good experience for those users with disabilities. Creating strong color contrast between your website’s background and the text you use is easier to read for those with disabilities. The text on your site should have an easy-to-read font for all those viewing your website. Use bold text where needed to break up headings from regular copy. Using alt tags on images helps the customer know what each image is about. Alt tags also boost your website’s SEO.
Thumb-Friendly Mobile Navigation
Besides being mobile-friendly your site needs to be thumb-friendly. Everyone at one point or another has furiously scrolled through a website with their thumb when in a hurry, casually browsing or reading an article? Our smartphones fit naturally in our hands with our fingers gripping the phone while our thumbs scroll. A couple of examples of this are mothers and fathers could be holding a baby in one hand while scrolling their phone with the other. Someone else might be holding a coffee or a beverage in one hand while scrolling with the other. These are just two reasons why you should make your site thumb-friendly there are so many more.
Short Videos
Short informative videos about your products are key to keeping your customers on your website. If you have a long-winded video most likely your potential client will move on. Most people will not sit and watch a long video that goes on and on forever. State the simple facts clear and precisely along with relevant videos to keep viewers on your site so that they look at all products you offer.
Keep Your Most Important Information Above the Fold
When you see newspapers in a stand at your local coffee shop, where do they display the day’s most important headline? That’s right, above the fold. This same principle is gold with your business website. You want to catch the user’s attention and keep them moving forward on your webs site. Important information above the fold captures the viewer’s interest so they will read on. The more they can learn more about your company, the specials, and the services you offer, at a quick glance, the more likely they will purchase from you.
White Space
Too much white space is bad, but a little white space is needed to break up the spacing between text or image elements. This gives the viewer space to breathe when viewing images, headings, and copy. White space separates your information making the content on your website stand out more.
Images and Illustrations
Custom-designed illustrations and professional images that include your company services and products break you away from the competition that uses only stock images. This gives your customers a sense of trust in knowing they are getting the information from the source. Custom work portraying your business is perfect for your company branding. If a potential new client sees that you are using actual images of your business and location, they are more likely to purchase from you.
Fast Web Site Page Load
Yes, Speed is KEY! Speed is one of the most important design standards in good web design. You want your site to have fast load times so the web browsers will pick your company first in the search results. Web Browsers like Google will pick a fast site to show up higher in the rankings than it will a slow website. Potential customers don’t wait around for a slow website to show up on their devices. They will move on quickly if a website loads very slow. Your main goal is to get page views and keep a user on your site. If the user is not on your site, they are viewing your competition’s website. Don’t lose that conversion just because you have a slow website.
SEO
In addition to all the above, your website will not be listed well on the search engine results page if your site does not implement the latest SEO techniques. This is usually an extra added monthly price to your website but so worth it. Search engine browsers will find your website and the information a user is searching for much easier. The main goal of an SEO-supported website is for your company to rank well and show up higher in the organic listings than your local, regional, and national competition. We cover the importance of SEO more in-depth in our blog titled “Why is SEO Necessary for Your Website?”