09 Nov Must-Haves For Your Website in 2021

If your business is looking to ring in the new year with a new-look website, it’s important to find a way to stand out and impress your visitors. Creating engaging and lively content for the hub of your company’s Internet presence should be a main priority in the age of digital media. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to improve your website.

One Chance to Make a First Impression

  Website visitors need just 0.5 seconds to form an opinion about the website they’ve found themselves browsing. [1] That means from the second someone clicks on your home page, they need to be captivated by what they see on their screen. As a matter of fact, approximately 38% of people will leave a website immediately if they do not find it appealing. [2]   How can you grab their attention quickly? Well, it’s easier than you think. Simple and clean design principles will make the website easy to use, without too many distractions to detract from their experience.   Usability should be a central focus of any website because if a potential customer gets frustrated trying to find the information they are looking for, they’ll leave.   And make sure your website is responsive and loads quickly. People these days don’t like to be kept waiting! Seemingly small mistakes or oversights like these can prove to be costly. A study found that 48% of website visitors believe companies with unresponsive websites don’t actually care about the quality of their site, which translates into thinking that they don’t care about their customers. [3] A minute mistake could prove to have massive repercussions in a competitive business environment.  

Accessibility

  It is very important that everyone has the opportunity to browse your website equally. ADA compliance on your website will help visitors with disabilities access your online content with ease. Persons with disabilities deserve the same opportunity to gather information, purchase products and contact your business.   One of the most effective ways to develop a proper standard of accessibility is to use an ADA widget. This widget can provide larger text and expanded text-spacing to make content easier to read. Adjustments to one’s cursor can be made using the widget, further expanding the potential for clicks on your site. Keyboard navigation has never been so convenient, while a dyslexia-friendly tab is also available for users. Want to make your links the center of attention? A “highlight links” feature in the ADA widget might be exactly what you need.   Some of the changes could be small or very simple, but any of these user-friendly adaptations will change the way your website looks and feels for your visitors.  

Mobile-Friendly Design

  Everyone has smartphones in the palm of their hand these days, which means it’s extremely important to have mobile-friendly websites. Nothing is more disastrous than using a website that is difficult to access and clearly wasn’t made for a smartphone. In fact, 85% of adult website users believe the mobile version of a website should be just as good as the desktop version. [4]   Mobile sites should prioritize website responsiveness and accessibility. This will help increase your company’s search ranking, as many users will be attempting to use your website from their smartphones. Adjusting the sizes of text, links and visuals to fit your mobile interface can be a game-changer in this evolving digital age.  

SSL Certificate

  Another must-have for your website in the new year is an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. These are small data files that provide security measures for websites by allowing a secure connection from a web server to a browser. Google checks to make sure websites are trustworthy and credible, so bringing authentication to your site is crucial for improving your SEO ranking.  An SSL certificate will undoubtedly give your website an SEO boost and the opportunity to show up amongst the top results in search engines. Ensuring that your site contains verified information while protecting your site from hackers by using an SSL certificate should be the standard when in the development process.  

Up-to-Date Content

  The digital world moves quickly and it is imperative to keep pace when it comes to content posted on your website. We’ve all found ourselves on websites that haven’t been updated in months, and it is definitely not a good look for the company. Creating fresh and engaging content is necessary to keep users interested in what your business has to offer. Blogs, social media, and other forms of interactive content will keep your website lively and stimulating. Staying up-to-date with trends and intriguing information will help educate your audience and keep them coming back for more.  

Social Media Integration

  As mentioned earlier, mobile devices are owned by nearly everyone. When people are mindlessly scrolling on these devices, it is usually because they are browsing their social media feeds. Many people receive information and find out about new products on these platforms, which is why social media integration on your website is crucial. Using social media effectively will also allow your product or service to be shared more easily. Placing links to platforms such as your company’s Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram page will make it very easy to grab more followers.  

Call to Action

  Now that you have a large amount of visitors and they’re fully engaged with your website, it’s time to guide people through their next steps. Using a call to action, customers are pointed to an intended destination. It can be very simple, perhaps asking the customer to request more information about your product or service. You can also use a more direct approach, such as  asking customers to schedule an appointment, which helps move them towards making the purchase. Check out this example from our website: People want to be led towards activities and resources that help them get closer to solving their problems. Adding links to direct customers straight to what your business offers is the ultimate goal, so making sure your call to action is easily accessible and visual appealing is key.  

Conclusion

  Obviously, all websites are different. Businesses have various goals and aspirations, but it is important to use these effective website design practices to stay ahead of the competition. Using these engaging techniques is vital to the success of any company’s website. Making an attention-grabbing first impression while using clear text and visuals will allow your website to soar above the rest. Once the customer is hooked on your product, a call to action will get them going in the right direction.   Not sure where to start when designing your website? Let us help! Social Spice Media can create an updated, eye-catching website to increase your company’s online success and credibility.         1,2,3,4: https://www.slideshare.net/sodaspeaks/the-soda-report-volume-1-2014 ADA Compliance: https://www.socialspicemedia.com/ada-web-compliance/ Contact Us: https://www.socialspicemedia.com/contact-us/