Think about a positive experience you’ve had as a customer at a business. What made it so phenomenal? Did the layout of the business make it easy to find what you needed? Was customer service prompt and helpful?
Much like the first impression of a physical location, your online presence impacts how customers perceive you and understand your brand. An intuitive, secure online storefront that is relevant to customer’s needs and invites them to take action is essential to building trust with your visitors and converting them to a customer/client. To evaluate whether your website is representing your brand and primed to convert, consider these questions.
Q1. Does your website have compelling calls-to-action?
A call-to-action invites visitors on your site to take the next step to engage with your brand. It should lead the visitor to do something, whether that’s signing up for an email list, contacting you, or making a transaction. They should be clearly stated and use descriptive language.
For example, an email sign-up offering a free e-book featuring a call-to-action button that states “Download My E-Book Now” is more enticing than a basic “Submit” button. Calls-to-action should be strategically placed throughout the site in locations that are likely to be decision points for visitors.
Q2. Does your website display consistent branding throughout the site?
Your website is a key opportunity to communicate your brand. A number of components come together to create your brand, from an attractive, consistent color scheme and design to the overall tone of your content. A brand is about communicating what you do, why you do it, what you believe, and how you can benefit your customers. Each piece of content and design on your site should be there to communicate the big picture of your brand. Consistency is key. A clearly defined brand will be memorable for clients, and if they like what they see, they will be likely to take action and even return to your brand.
Q3. Is the content easy to find, relevant, and up-to-date?
The content on your site should speak to your customers’ needs and how you can help them. People tend to skim web pages rather than read them in-depth, so clear, concise language is essential. The contact information like your phone number and address should be accurate and prominently displayed, making it easy for visitors to connect with you. The conversion from visitor to customer/client will happen more quickly and frequently if the information they need on your website is readily available, speaks to their needs, and can be trusted to be accurate.
Q4. Is your navigation simple and intuitive?
Visitors want to find what they need on your site quickly and easily, whether it’s getting information, buying something, or browsing what you have to offer. If visitors can’t find what they need on your site in a few clicks, they may give up and move on to a different site. Feature the most important call-to-action and information on the home page and in key locations like the header and footer.
Avoid complex navigation menus. Although you may need a website that displays many options, it’s still possible to have an intuitive layout through a purposeful organization. For example, a large collection of blog posts could be organized by category or feature a keyword search. Limit choices when possible. Too many choices can lead to indecision about what to click next. Limiting choices promotes action and can lead to more conversions.
Take a look at this example of a brand that answers “yes” to all of the questions above.
Caplinger’s Fresh Catch Seafood Market is one of our clients that we recently helped strengthen their digital presence through a revamp of their website. Although Caplinger’s had a unique identity and deliverables, their previous website didn’t offer the user experience needed for their brand.
Through our website development project that involves market research, content development, and design, we helped them check all the boxes to creating a successful website built for optimal conversion.
If you want to improve your brand’s online representation, Element212’s proven expertise in online solutions can do that for you. Let us help you reach and retain your ideal customers. Contact us to tell us about your needs here.