We live in a fast-paced world (and that is an understatement). Did you know that the average time someone spends on a site before deciding if they want to stay or leave is 15 seconds? You can see the article written in the Times here. Now, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s simply information we can use to better serve our customers and potential clients.
I’m going to give you 10 actionable steps to do today to improve your website so you can land more leads, increase product sales, and make the internet just a little better.
1. (KISS) Keep It Simple, Stupid
Within the first second that someone lands on your site they should know exactly what it is that you offer and have a clear understanding of your brand and tone. You could not imagine how many sites I’ve worked on over the years of digital marketing that are unclear, uncertain, and pretty much undescriptive to someone coming in “off the street” or, in this case, “off the web”.
Everything Above-the-Fold of your site should have:
- A Clear Description of Your Offering
- Your Brand Name + Logo
- A Motto (optional, but great for sharing the tone of your business)
- A Clear Call to Action
In addition to that, everything should be incredibly easy to read. That means good typography (font choice) and a readable contrast ratio of background to the font. Pro tip: Make sure to not do pure black on pure white, or vice-versa. Always use off-white and off-black as it is easier for people to read/see what’s going on while looking at it through a device.
2. Design Your Website for Mobile-First
Over 50% of all website traffic on the web is now on Mobile. In addition to that, if you provide a service potential clients are more likely to contact you via phone on a mobile device, meaning more leads.
Yes, we design websites on computers, but all designers/business owners need to get in the habit of designing their sites first for mobile and second for desktop.
Your website menu, formally called navigation, should only have exactly what you need to convert traffic to clients, sales, and customers. Don’t just copy what you see on other websites. Everyone does that, and a lot of people are copying shit that does nothing for no one.
Look at each page of your site, and identify what is important, and what can be scrapped. If you have Google Analytics (or something similar for tracking) figure out which pages your viewers go to consistently and highlight them on the menu. Pro Tip: figure out the pages that make you money, and have them easily accessible to viewers.
Remember, a website’s job is to fulfill your business needs. If it is not making you money, getting you new clients, or leveraging online attention, then your site is failing.
4. Have Clear Call to Actions (CTAs)
Your site should have clear Call to Actions frequently and consistently. If it is difficult for people to get to where you want them to get to they will leave without calling, contacting, or buying.
You are the leader, direct your viewers to where you want them to go.
If you are an eCommerce shop, bring them to the shop page ASAP! If you are a service-based business, get them clicking to call you or filling out a contact form.
Traffic is great, getting sales and clients, a lot greater.
5. Add Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are low-hanging fruit that provide viewers with a powerful tool for internal navigation on your website. Moz, an industry leader in digital marketing, did a study in 2015 and found a massive improvement in site metrics from implementing breadcrumbs.
I would recommend putting them directly under the page title bar on your web pages. (You can check out the Breadcrumbs here on Mumarkt. Go to the top of the page, and look at the grey bar under the page title.
6. Have Original Images and Kill Off Stock Images
Trust me, I understand the appeal of stock images. They come cheap and save you a bunch of time and money associated with hiring a professional photographer. They also cost you a shit ton of money in lost sales and potential clients that decide not to contact you.
I’ve seen people’s businesses double almost overnight after hiring a professional photographer and launching the new content over the web.
Let me reemphasize this, as it is very important: Do you want to make more money? Yes? Then scrap your stock photos and hire professional photographers. You will always have a massive return on investment. Always.
BONUS: Hire an Experienced Web Designer
Managing your own website takes away time that you could be working with your clients and creating/bettering your product offerings. When you are first starting out, and if you have low capital, then by all means create your own website.
If you are sitting on some money, and you are looking to grow your business, then reinvest into your business and hire a professional web designer.
