When you’re strolling in an outlet mall, you might find yourself browsing each store’s selections without ever going inside – also known as window shopping. Window shopping gives would-be patrons the opportunity to see if they like the look of a store, some of the offerings on display, and the pricetags associated with the items that stand out to them.

Now that more and more shoppers are turning to the Internet for their shopping needs, businesses owners should think of their websites as digital storefronts that showcase their goods and services. This makes it even more important to ensure that your website is one that will attract visitors and turn them into longtime customers.

So what can you do to convince your visitors not to click away? Social Spice Media provides the following 4 areas you can improve to make a great website:

1. Branding

Let’s start with the look and feel of your website. Your branding should be consistent across all your visual fronts – color choice, logo, text, font, and images. Famous brands like Nike and Puma use slick, sporty imagery to appeal to their athletic audience, while Home & Garden Magazine uses more home-y, flowery, and vibrant imagery, text, and color to attract those who are looking for creative inspiration with their cooking and home décor.

It’s also important to choose fonts that are easy to read and colors that don’t make your page visitors strain their eyes. A good rule of thumb is to place darker text over a lighter colored background.

When it comes to the images you choose, you don’t have to settle for Stock photos. You can take your own high-quality photos (or hire someone else to take them), incorporate artwork into your website, or use vector images. If you do, however, decide to go with Stock images, make sure that the photos don’t look like stereotypical Stock images (i.e. they look too posed).

2. Page Setup

Every business is different, and their websites will be too. But a tried and true setup for your home page is to keep your logo in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, contact info on the upper right, and an easy-to-maneuver navigation menu at the top. Be sure not to overwhelm your customers with too many tabs!

Keep your headlines attention-grabbing and put all your most important information above the “fold” of your home page. Put your call-to-action in a place your visitors can’t miss, and bonus points of you include top reviews/testimonials at the bottom of your home page.

3. Content

The layout of your website may be what attracts Internet users to your organization, but having the right substance is what will keep them. Make your call-to-action, whether it’s signing up for a mailing list or downloading a free guide, very clear to your audience.

When it comes to step-by-step instructions, a history of your company, or another type of longform content, you can use infographics to break up this information into smaller chunks. Your visitors will most likely be skimming your page for key information, which makes infographics the perfect tool to keep their attention.

And of course, use SEO-rich keywords that will increase the likelihood that people will find you. There are several websites you can use to gauge what keywords are Googling and implement them into your own website. For example, a financial services company might incorporate commonly search words like “debt relief,” or “financial tips” or “tax season” into their content. Remember to update your content (especially business blogs) on the regular!

4. Functionality

Have an unbiased person test out your website for usability. Your web content should be easily navigable, readable, and should not take a long time to load. Make sure that your visitors don’t have to scroll endlessly to find what they need or go through your entire site to find the one piece of information they’re searching for.

Pro tip: Optimize your website so that it is mobile-friendly. Now that mobile Internet searches have surpassed desktop Internet use, it’s important to make sure you’re creating a space where most of your audience resides.

Get in touch with Social Spice Media to learn more about developing an affordable, functional website for your business and how you can effectively spend your marketing dollars. Our team pays attention to your goals and creates a custom strategy that delivers results.
Do you know someone who could benefit from our services? Refer them to us today! Our team is eager to connect with businesses in any industry. We serve the local needs of Ventura County and Santa Barbara as well as anywhere in the United States.