7 Keys to a successful website
There are millions of websites on the internet and more built daily. How in the world can your website compete? First of all, remove that stress from your shoulders. Your website does not exist to compete, it is just another tool to help you market your business and there are many ways to help you make it a successful website.
Here’s a list of the most important items needed to achieve that goal. Most of these seem logical, but you would be surprised to see how many websites lack these elements. Don’t let your site be one of those! Use the list to make your site user-friendly, more personal and engage your audience better. You’ll be happy you did when you see the site stats go up!
1. Simple design & Easy navigation
A site that takes 10 seconds or more to load will not keep visitors long enough to find out what you have to offer.
- Use a simple, clean design that downloads quickly.
- Add (compressed) images to add interest because people love pictures!
- Make navigating super easy with a simple menu to find information fast.
2. Make it personal & be accessible
Why should your site be personal? It is a fact that people tend to buy from those they trust or know. They want to know
- who you are and what you do
- how you helped others
- what you can do for them.
Be accessible and let people reach out to you so you can build that relationship!
- Add your contact information to the site.
- Use social media to expand your network (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
- Reply to emails or comments; show that you care about your community.
3. Call to action
Many times website owners dump information on the pages and let visitors figure out the next step. Always remember, you want to make it easy for people to get what they want by telling them
- what to do next (sign up, buy)
- where to click (buttons, links)
- how to contact you.
4. Regular updates: start blogging!
Websites with blogs get 55% more traffic! Every big blogger will tell you that if you want to have a successful website you’ll have to post regularly and write really great content.
- Give your visitors a good reason to come back for more; give them value!
- Show your expertise or tell your story.
- Added benefit: search engines love fresh content.
5. Get subscribers
Allow visitors to sign up for your updates or newsletters. This is why it’s important.
- Regular contact helps build trust and a relationship with subscribers.
- With newsletters you can share information to your list that is not on your blog.
- Tell subscribers about your offers or promotions.
- For both options there are free and paid tools to build your mailing list.
- Automate this task by using an email service provider like MailerLite or Mailchimp.
6. Measure your results
Whether you are writing for a website or newsletter, you should know if investing your time is worth it. Find out
- Which page or post is visited most?
- How did people get to your website? What were they looking for?
- What is the click or open rate of your newsletter?
- How many people subscribed and unsubscribed?
- Do people take advantage of the offers in your newsletters?
7. Go mobile
Did you know that over 1.2 billion people accessed the internet from their mobile device in 2013? And that tablet owners spend 50% more than PC users? Three years later mobile internet use has passed desktop access. In 2021, more than half of all global websites were visited from mobile devices. Join the mobile revolution!
- Make sure your site is responsive and automatically adapts to be viewed on any size screen.
- Use a responsive website design (template) or plugin.
Add these 7 elements to your website and you will be unstoppable. All the best with making your site a successful website!
Free recources
Click on the image for a printable pdf version of this post.
And if you need help with the creation or maintenance of your site, contact us at ADF International.
