Would you ever think of running a business without a phone number? Let’s hope not. Today, having a website for your business is equally as important – if not more – as having a phone number. If you are planning on jumping online with a new website for your business, here are a few tips to help you develop a successful website.
Defining Your Website Goals: If you are investing time and money into building your website, you are going to expect a return on that investment. Before doing anything else define what your goals are for your website. What are you hoping to achieve with your website? Why will people come to your site? What will they do once they are there? (Email you? Make a purchase? Donate money?) How will you get them to do it? How will you measure success?
Organize Your Content and Draw a Clear Picture: One of the first things to do is organize your content. How many pages are going to make up your website? What information will be found on those pages? Is the information logically organized? Will people be able to find their way around your site? Thinking through these questions and providing people with well organized content will help turn your website traffic into customers
Make a Good First Impression: Of all the pages on your site, your home page is one of the most important because it needs to accomplish three things. It should establish who you are, what you do, and how you can help others with the services you provide. A well designed home page should entice people to learn more about your business by clicking through to the rest of your website. Keep the copy on your home page short and sweet so people don’t have to scroll for important information.
State Your Value Proposition – Why Me? This is why!: One of the first things to include on each page is your value proposition. What is the single most important thing you are offering to your customers? Your value proposition lets your visitors know why they should use your services instead of your competition.
Write Copy for the Web’s Short Attention Span Theatre: Writing copy for the web is very different than writing for print. When was the last time you read an eight page article online? Probably…never. Most people do not read the majority of copy on websites. Instead, they skim the content for the information they came looking for. Put all of the important details in your first paragraph then include the other information in the following paragraphs. Use bold titles to organize your paragraphs so that your visitors can quickly jump to the information they came looking for.
Be Kind to Their Eyes: The majority of the copy on your website should be no smaller than the standard 12pt size. If visitors have clicked past your home page, they are trying to find out more about you. Make is as easy as possible for them to learn about you and your business. Avoid having your website look home-made by keeping links and color schemes consistent on every page.
Give People Breathing Room by Learning to Love the White Space: White space is a good thing! It lets people focus on your content. Filling up every single bit of space on the page not only makes it look cluttered, it can distract the reader and make them feel overwhelmed.
The Professional Kiss of Death – What to Avoid
Pop Up Windows: Pop up windows are rarely a good way to present information, especially important details like your contact phone number, address or email. Most internet browsers block pop up windows as do most internet security programs.
Needless Animated Graphics: Yes, some people use animated graphics of mailboxes to entice their visitors to email them. Aside from telling people you are stuck in 1995, animated graphics and blinking icons act as nothing more than a visual distraction to the people who visit you online.
Visible Stat Counters: Another outdated practice which provides no real, useful information to your website’s visitors.
Playing Music: Nothing makes people run screaming from a website faster than playing “mood” music. Unless you are in the music business, it is best not to have music automatically play on your site. If done correctly, your content, design, and overall user experience should set the mood, not the music.
I design websites, blogs, and develop social media campaigns for creative professionals who want increase their online visibility, promote their latest projects, and attract new creative opportunities.