Competition can get intense online, with thousands of websites created daily and every brand focusing on being the best. In order for your website to land on top it needs to be flawless, standing out from competitors, generating more traffic and concentrating on design, content and daily maintenance.
There are also several details to consider when it comes to building a successful website, including our top five recommended areas to focus your attention on to continue the success of hosting a great website. These areas are broken down into specific details and actions to take, highlighting several key factors that play a major role to confirm your website is built for success.
Marketing plays a valuable role in designing an attractive website, by focusing on the suggested actions you can build and design a website for success.
A website is like a photo book, attracting viewers through visual aid while mentally gaining their attention through strategic marketing and exploration. After you create the company, product or service, then its time to focus on the following five actions a website needs to strengthen your analytics and gain high traffic ratings.
Content
Hiring a copywriter will help build strong content and SEO, but if you’re creating the content in your own words then follow these eight guidelines:
- A home page should ideally have no more than 250 words and these words must be relevant to your brand, not confusing a viewer.
- Highlight every “action button” and important content by using italic, bold, or underlining words to draw attention to the action button, such as BUY HERE!
- Add photos to break up your content and not bore the reader with constant run-on sentences. Again, photos should be relevant to the content and your brand.
- Add explanations to photos or video clips, so the audience doesn’t have to research what the photo is about or search elsewhere for those facts, driving them away from your website.
- Tell a story, share an experience or personalize content to attract the viewer into a relationship of being your customer/client, sharing a common interest with each other.
- Direct the links of content to proper pages. If your content reads, “Learn the top 5 areas to concentrate on a website”, that link better go to those 5 areas, and not to a shopping cart or item you are trying to sell.
- Include social media marketing. Add social media sites on all pages, in a location where the audience can easily access click to the correct page.
- Update your content. Maintaining your content and updating information will strengthen your SEO and generate traffic with relevant information and news. If you’re new and not sure where to begin with SEO, hire a professional to get the job done right the first time.
Design
The homepage of a website is the “first impression” of all relationships between you and your consumer, and the best page to sell your brand (whether or not you are physically selling anything at all). The first page (home page) is where the eyes are drawn in, or steered away, so look your best to keep viewers attention on your site.
This page is where you need to attract the audience by highlighting all of the importance of who and what you are, while gaining the attention span of your viewers to last longer than the average 1/50th of a second on a website. So make sure the colors are appealing, grammar is error-free, avoid any typos and design a simple navigation while showcasing your brand, away from competitors.
Also, take into consideration the different mobile formats, for iPhones, Tablets, etc.Test and confirm all styles look great on a variety of technology devices.
In an interview on the Speaking of Wealth show with Nir Zohar, President of the website builder Wix,shared with us the importance of website design to attract and engage your target market. LISTEN HERE for a more in-depth take on websites and simple designs that can make you a fortune.
Contact
This section on your website should be available and detailed for several reasons.
- Consumers want to receive their answer from the right department.
- Fans want to share comments, ask questions or gain more information on the product/service.
- Media want your presence for TV, radio or book reviews.
In this section you can also include your Bio, highlighting all of your accomplishments as well as awards won by the business.
Grow the attention of your audience by offering a signup form to receive weekly or monthly newsletters. (This signup can also be a pop-up window on other pages, but great start is on the Contact Page). Design this signup to be appealing to your audience by asking questions and sending answers to the email address collecting results to build contacts for future newsletters, press releases and advertisements!
Navigation
This interface allows users to surf the website without any errors, directing them to the right pages, links and viewing all images ‘error-free”. To operate a successful navigation, the following requirements should be fulfilled:
Headings are maximized. Create headings with a drop-down box to view subheadings or links that will drive traffic to proper locations on your website, this will clean up your page while offering viewers options to be directed to specific pages.
Take for example the T. Harv Eker website. His site reveals 5 headings that direct traffic to the right location and information. Described in the Headers below are examples of how your website can easily navigate traffic as well.
- HOME – Directs the viewer to back to the front page (landing page), where the clean, simple and attractive page highlights the success of T. Harv Eker, his social media sites and a short video with images and links to purchase his Best-Seller books.
- ABOUT – The bio can go here, just like T. Harv Eker. Also, include a sidebar for viewers to still have easy access to products or other highlights of the brand/author.
- MONTHLY LESSON – This header of T. Harv Eker is where he placed his SERVICES/PRODUCTS. Be sure your products or services are titled according to your brand, showcasing everything you offer and why the viewer should choose you and your books, products or services. Add testimonials, results and awards for being the best in your industry or as a Best-Selling author.
- EDUCATION – As you know T. Harv Eker is constantly educating us, and here is where you can include the sign up button and learn more about his seminars, classes and events. Which is also a great place for you to add your events, launch party, online seminars or public speaking events.
- CALENDAR – If you are busy speaking or attending events fans can attend add this header, or substitute with “CONTACT” or any other services you offer that do not correlate with the above recommended headers.
Branding
- Brand your product or service by legalizing your company and registering your business, verifying with your traffic that you are a trusted website.
- Consult with your legal counsel to confirm legal disclaimers anywhere needed within the company (i.e. return policies, privacy policies, membership requirements, etc.).
- Always keep in mind your mission statement, which should be the same one that is on all business cards and on current website. If these do not match up or your mission statement does not relate with the actual services of your business or products that you offer, then you need to write a new statement. Again, you want viewers, fans and consumers to trust you and you can begin this by writing all content and mission statements to be alike.
- Offer “signup” specials, discounts on new members or share weekly specials to keep consumers interested in the great service and price.
- Include link trades, affiliate programs and paid advertising on your site, adding more attraction and value and recognition to your brand.
Content, Design, Contact, Navigation and Branding are all essential areas to focus your attention on to develop a successful website. Take necessary actions to be one step ahead of competitors as you develop a website using this advice to your benefit, strengthening your traffic and brand.
photo credit: dearsomeone via photopin cc