CLICHE, BUT TRUE.
It all starts with the first impression.
Read that again.
A good first impression is key to creating consumer relationships. Initial impressions may set the tone for the whole customer’s first experience. Have you ever wondered why some companies outstrip their competitors in terms of customer experience? They know how to make the best first impression.
Customers are on the lookout for seamless experiences with brands, and this starts from first impressions. Make sure your brand doesn’t miss this opportunity to create a lasting impression on your customers.
Is your website delivering enough information to your visitors?
If you want to avoid losing business to competitors, you need to arrive in front of your customers first.
Here are the things you need to consider in building your website:
- Does your website attract customers?
You spend so much time creating your website, designing it, programming it, and then we finally get to the fun part: displaying content with words and images! Before you get to that point you need to ask yourself one question: does your website’s landing page catch the attention of people browsing the web or does it look like a copy of hundred other websites?
- Is it easy to navigate?
So… we’re pretty sure online shopping is no stranger to you! Or you wouldn’t be in this industry if it’s something you know nothing about.
If so, then try relating your own experience to starting your own online business. If you visit a website store where the design is absolutely eye-catching and was the first thing that popped up in your Google search, seems responsive, and thought it was awesome, would you shop there?
The same thing should apply to your own!
Your website is your business’s presence on the web. It’s your company’s storefront and the first introduction a visitor has to your company. The manner in which visitors experience this storefront will dictate how they feel about, and interact with what you’re selling.
- Does it provide a great user experience on all devices?
Do visitors to your website instantly know where they are and what they can do? Why is this important? Because when visitors leave your site having not found what they were looking for — or frustrated by their experience — you’ve lost a customer.
The User Experience (UX) of your website, on all devices, is the difference between success and failure. It may sound like an exaggeration, but it isn’t.
- Does it give your customers reasons to visit again?
You know how sometimes you meet someone for the first time, and you get along really well? Or maybe the opposite happens. They were a dud! What if your website was that way too? It only takes one glance for web users to decide whether or not to visit your site again. Are you giving them reasons to visit your site again?
Highlight your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and UVP (Unique Value Proposition) at this point!
Customers should be thinking of you often, and the product or service that you offer should come to mind when they have needs similar to yours. When you have this type of relationship formed it can lead to repeat business and loyal customers.
- Does it highlight the benefits of what you offer?
Have you ever wondered why some websites are more effective than others at converting visitors into customers? Not only do they design their websites better, but they also make better use of copy in the form of benefits-driven copy and optimise their promotions.
A great marketing message immediately engages the reader and encourages them to continue reading. It grabs their attention and makes them feel like you are talking directly to them. If it does this, then your website is working for you.
- Does it capture data?
The single-page website layouts that have taken over the creative and development scenes in the last few years certainly intrigue us with their minimalistic take on web design. Beautiful typography, unique designs, and heavily coded interactions are just a few of the things we love about them.
But what about data collection and ultimately conversions?
Good luck nailing down metrics for that, which is why we’re always looking for ways to utilize these types of websites on a conversion basis.
- Does it give clear Calls to Action?
Take some time to work on your call to action. Many websites have no call to action at all. And if a site is used to promote a product, service, or blog – it better has great calls to action that help the visitor take action – by either buying something from you or your affiliate links, registering for an email list, subscribing, or sharing the content with friends!
As always it’s best to keep things simple and break things down into smaller pieces:
- What does your visitor want?
- What does your website want them to do (remember not every visitor is looking for the same thing)?
- Is Contact Information provided?
Build credibility and transparency by being accessible to your visitors!
One of the first things people notice about your website is if contact information is provided. Most people don’t want to be sold anything so if they can’t find a way to get in touch with you, they immediately start losing interest.
You’ll want to make sure you include some information so potential customers can easily reach out to you should they have any concerns before deciding on a purchase. Not ready for random emails and/or calls? It’s going to hurt your business more than it can your comfort zone.
Don’t just sell while hiding. You’re dealing with humans and they expect the same behind your pretty page. If a potential customer needs to contact you, and can’t find any information or form it’s going to make them very wary about doing business with you. It’s that simple.
- Is it engaging, interactive, and pleasurable to your customers?
No is the answer more often than yes. Not only do you need to design your site to be appealing, but you also need to offer engaging content and loads of it. Even if your design is the most stunning site designers in the world can create, it’s ultimately not going to be successful if no one gets past the homepage.
Bring value! If the content is king, value is the throne.
- Does it build relationships?
Let’s face it. Your website is your business’s first point of contact, and a whopping 90% of people will never go past your home page. But how do you make a strong first impression? What makes a great first impression on people?
The website is no longer a channel for the business but is the business itself. These days, the first interaction doesn’t happen on the phone or in person. It happens through search engine results and social media. Businesses that don’t adapt to this trend are going to suffer. Website design plays a big part in making online relationships happen.
You’re trying to build not just a website but also relationships with your visitors so they will return frequently. Visitors generally don’t take the time to learn important details unless they are given the information they need in a direct way. A poorly designed website fails to persuade visitors to provide you with the essential contact information you need to build those relationships.
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If your site is losing its visitors, consider focusing on the things that leads exist to do: let them know you’re here to connect with them.
Consider what you want them to do, instead of what you want them to buy.
Determine how they can help you and how they can help themselves. Design with these in mind before designing with aesthetics. Are you using pop-ups or exit intent? Do you want a booking form on every page? Trying to offer a different solution to the problem than pushing their contact information into your system and doing everything for them.
Finally – watch the bounce rate. Commanding attention is about building relationships – make sure that you aren’t turning people off before they have a chance to help you out.
Not sure where to start?
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