Every start-up must have a website. But all websites are not created equal. By doing it right and making sure it’s working properly from the start, you will be able to communicate with customers, establish your company’s credibility and encourage visitors to become buyers.
The right kind of design, content and strategy can turn a website into a crucial sales and marketing tool, no matter your industry.
What makes a good website?
Go back to basics when considering your website. Work out exactly what you need it to achieve, how this fits in with your overall business plan and ensure the domain name and site reflects this.
The most important purpose of your website is to guide visitors into taking specific actions. Depending on your product or service this could be generating leads (phone calls and emails), providing information on your business or selling things directly.
What should be on the website?
According to research, your website has less than 10 seconds to impress prospective customers or clients. To engage these visitors and convert them into customers, your layout must be effective.
The domain name and homepage of the site should immediately make it clear who you are, what you do and what their next step should be to get what they want.
Be clear on who your targeted audience is and what you should be communicating. Time and resources should be dedicated to ensuring the company’s core message and vision are communicated in a concise and accessible way.
Orientate visitors to the website
Not everyone will access your site through the home page. If your social media and content strategy is working effectively then they could arrive by one of a few channels. Therefore, your website should be immediately accessible and clear to everyone, no matter how they find you.
The business’ vision and core values will inform every aspect of your communication strategy. This includes the fonts, colours and logo you choose, right through to the tone and language displayed in your company’s website and other communications.
Make your brand coherent
Your website must be well designed align with your brand values. Confusing and mismatched webpages and design will turn people away.
An easily usable, accessible, comprehensive and slick website gives you credibility, helps to establish a place in your market sector and increases conversions.
Blogging and social media
Blogging effectively and crafting engaging content for your social media channels are key to establishing your business acumen and a loyal audience. Blogs must be focused towards the reader, deliver value to the customer and be accessible.
Using a corporate tone or sticking only with company announcements won’t work. Your website must offer more than simply company information. Blogs can be used as a key tool to encourage a two-way conversation. Social media buttons should be clearly visible on every page, and the blog easily accessible.
About you
No matter how good your design, or how slick your offering, you must clearly communicate who you are, what you do and why you stand out from the crowd. Use videos, infographics and cleaver design on your ‘About Us’ page to show this.
Include a page of client testimonials, because doing business online is all about trust. If you can use other people’s satisfied comments to reassure new visitors to your website, then you will be on your way to establishing with them that you’re worth buying from or engaging with.
Keep updated
A dedicated press page with links to articles about your business is a good idea. This will all add to your company being seen as an authority in your sector. However, as with a company blog, it’s only worth doing if content is regularly updated.
As your business becomes established, you will be asked questions by customers. When you have enough idea of what kind of enquiries you’re getting, create an FAQ page to field the most common. This will increase conversions as people can find the information themselves without having to go that extra step to contact you.
Be clear on calls to action
During the design phase of your website, work out the action you want visitors to take. Use specific points on your site to encourage people to engage with your company. These could include ‘Download the info guide’, ‘Contact Us’, ‘Work with us’ or even ‘Start here’. These buttons should then link through to sales pages, forms or more information.
Any features you include on your website should make sense in the context of your offering. Don’t be tempted to over complicate the design or functionality if you don’t need to.
