Few businesses today can thrive without a well-constructed website. After all, many people today discover new brands through search engines like Google. If your website isn’t up to par, many customers may look elsewhere for the products or services they need.
If you’re building a new website or updating an old one, there are several ways to help your business stand out from the crowd. Read on to explore nine website must haves that can positively impact customer traffic, sales, and growth.
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1. Responsive Web Design (RWD)
First, you’ll want to make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices. With responsive web design, all of your web pages will adjust to fit the screen of whatever device the customer is using. This means no tiny text characters or stretched-out formatting on web pages. Consider switching to RWD when you notice any issues with viewing your website from an iPhone, Android, or tablet.
2. User-Friendly Navigation Bar
Probably one of the most recognizable parts of a website is its navigation bar. Here, website visitors can find everything they need at a glance.
In most cases, the navigation bar is placed at the top or side of the screen. After clicking on a particular topic, customers should be redirected to a specific internal page. Navigation bars will vary by website, but they usually contain three main pieces of information.
Contact Us
Clicking on this link in the navigation bar should take visitors to a contact form. From there, customers can fill out some basic information to receive a callback or an email. Alternatively, you can insert your phone number, email, and physical address directly on the Contact Us page. You may also want to add a Call Now link near the top of the page for customers using a mobile device. This way, people won’t need to hunt down your number and type it into the phone manually.
About Us
This page is devoted to what your business is about and the team members you employ. Discuss the history of your business, including relevant certifications and experience. Don’t forget to mention any awards or accolades you’ve received as well.
The About Us page is also ideal for stating the values and goals of your company. If possible, include a mission statement that sums up your business in a few words. You can also make the About Us page more personable by including a group photo of your staff.
Services
The Services link on your navigation bar is all about what you can do for customers. To gain more traffic from Google searches, it's helpful to be as specific as possible. For example, a landscaping company may offer services like tree removal, mulching, or garden pest control.
The Services page is also a great place to talk about any promotions or seasonal discounts you’re offering. Be sure to also mention any specialty services you provide that set you apart from the competition. You can also include pricing information or other details that can help website visitors make an informed decision.
3. Location
Websites should contain geo-specific keywords throughout the content. When relevant, add location modifiers to landing pages, blogs, and meta-descriptions. Many businesses will also include a map of their physical store within the Contact Us section of the website.
Adding a location to your content will help you draw more local traffic to your business by ensuring Google correlates your website to a specific geographical area. For example, if you’re a locksmith serving the greater Cincinnati area, you may want to mention counties, suburbs, or surrounding towns in which you operate.
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4. Search Engine Optimized (SEO) Content
The best-looking website in the world may struggle to attract visitors if it’s difficult to find on the web. To ensure your website ranks higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), you’ll need to understand the basics of SEO.
Search engines use ‘crawlers’ to find the best possible matches for a given search query. These crawlers will look at many different factors when generating search results, such as the authority of the pages, the types of keywords they contain, and the relevance of the content. This means you’ll need to populate your website with plenty of informative, keyword-rich copy so search engines can find your business.
SEO also includes promoting your website through engagement channels like social media that can contribute to higher rankings on result pages.
5. AI Chat Feature
Another website must-have is an embedded AI-powered chatbot. This helpful application provides visitors with specific information they’re seeking, such as hours of operation or how to contact customer support. AI chatbots can also automate the scheduling of consultations, allowing you to create more customer conversions with little to no human intervention.
Businesses can also use chatbots to redirect users to specific pages within their website depending on what they need. For instance, you can program a chatbot to answer questions like “How do I set up a meeting?” by providing a link to the Contact Us page or a clickable phone number.
6. Knowledge Center or FAQs Page
Many websites today can benefit from adding a page devoted to answering common customer queries. With a FAQs page or knowledge center, visitors can find exactly what they need without needing to email or call you directly.
Topics to discuss in the knowledge center may include pricing information or how you process customer refunds. If you offer various tiers of membership packages, you can also discuss the differences between them here.
In short, the FAQs section of your website should address any and all concerns or obstacles that your customers may encounter. As your knowledge center starts to grow, you can consider adding a quick search feature that will comb through your website for instances of specific keywords or phrases.
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7. Engaging Photos and Videos
Make your website more attractive to visitors with the addition of engaging videos, animations, or photos. Using photos or short video clips is a great way to break up larger blocks of text while giving people visual context for blogs, how-to guides, and landing pages.
For your Home page, consider adding a brief explainer video that introduces your brand to leads. You may also want to add headshots of your team members on the About Us page of your website to make your brand more personable.
When discussing statistics or industry trends, consider putting those data points into a colorful graph that can grab readers' attention. While well-researched written content is important, you don’t want to overwhelm visitors with too much reading. Look for opportunities to sum up complex ideas into a simple graphic or photo.
8. Strong Call-to-Action (CTA) on Landing Pages
The best-performing websites contain direct CTAs across articles and internal landing pages. The purpose of a call-to-action is to guide leads toward the next steps of becoming a customer.
In some cases, a CTA encourages visitors to sign up for an email list or schedule a conversation over the phone. Other times the goal of a CTA is to engage readers who are further along in the sales funnel, directing visitors to buy a product or service. Regardless of your goals, you’ll want to include a strong call to action throughout the various stages of the buyer’s journey to increase the number of conversions you generate.
9. Blog Posts
Finally, you’ll want to ensure that your website has plenty of quality blog content for visitors to peruse. Publishing informative blogs on a regular schedule will make your site easier to find while increasing its authority in the eyes of search engines. These blogs should contain many localized, high-impact keywords related to your industry and the services you provide. For example, a roofing company in Florida may create a blog entitled “How to find the best roofers in Orlando”. Be sure to include plenty of relevant keywords in the content as well, such as “best Orlando roofers” or “residential roofers in Orlando.”
Aside from your internal pages, your blog will be the primary driver of organic traffic to your website. Remember to add an engaging call-to-action at the end of each blog post. These CTAs should differ depending on the topic presented in the content.
The Takeaway
With so many businesses competing for market share, standing out from the crowd can be challenging. By including these website must-haves, you can attract more traffic to your business and begin converting more leads. However, if you’re still learning how to navigate website design and need help, there’s no need to do it alone.
At Scorpion Marketing, we understand that business owners don’t always have the time to worry about optimizing their websites. That’s why we offer professional website design services for our clients, including everything from initial design to ongoing maintenance. We’ll help you create the user-friendly, organized, and exciting website that your business needs to thrive in today’s digital world. To get started, contact our team at Scorpion to learn more..2112060952105.jpg)
