Why It Is Important To Have A Website
One of the most important reasons to have a website is that it helps build credibility for your business. Having a website allows you to market your business online and reach larger audiences than what is possible with more traditional offline marketing methods.
A strong online presence, regardless of the industry, can have a massive impact on its success. Most customers will go to a website first, before making a purchase. This means that your online content is one of the first impressions prospective customers will have of your business.
Showcasing your brand by clearly establishing who you are and what you represent, is one of the most important things that you can do as both a brand and digital marketer. Without a website, this can be difficult, because people will not be able to easily and quickly find reliable information about your business.
Important Elements Every Website Should Include
A website is a necessity for a business these days, but no matter why you’ve decided to build a website, there are a few conventions you should follow to make sure your customers enjoy the experience while visiting your website.
Of course, the beauty of website creation is that you have a lot of flexibility and you can create something that truly reflects your brand, but it should be done in a way that presents your business in the best possible light and encourages visitors to browse, learn and convert. To reach this goal, make sure you keep the following elements in mind as you plan, design, and create your website.
A Great Homepage
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, which is why your homepage is one of the most important pages on your website.
Your homepage should include:
- A Catchy Headline that tells what your business has to offer in no more than 3 seconds. For example, the headline on Oviond’s website is “Showcase the value of your digital marketing efforts”.
- A Sub-Headline which should complement the headline by offering a brief description of what you do or what you offer. For example, the sub-headline on Oviond’s website is “Monitoring and reporting software that brings your marketing data together into one simple platform for brands & agencies”.
- A Prominent Call-to-Action. The goal of your homepage is to compel visitors to dig deeper into your website and move them down the funnel. Oviond’s call to action is the “Start Free Trial” button that is prominently placed on the homepage.
- A Supporting Image or even a short video that clearly indicates what you offer. Use images that capture emotion and drive action.
- Benefits and Features. List some of your key features and highlight the benefits to give a clear understanding of what service or product your business offers.
- Social Proof such as customer reviews/feedback is a powerful indicator of trust. Point to one or two of your best reviews from your Testimonials page.
- Easy Navigation. Give your visitors a clear path into your website from the homepage. Make sure the navigation menu is clearly visible at the top of the page, and make it simple and easy to find what they’re looking for.
- Success Indicators in addition to customer success stories, awards and recognition can also help inspire a good first impression. Is your company a critically acclaimed restaurant? Were you voted best new app this year? Let your homepage visitors know of your accomplishments. Like social proof, it’ll give your business more credibility to those who don’t know you.
About Us
Visitors to your website will spend some time on your homepage looking around and if they want to find out who you are and what your business offers, they’ll most likely visit your About Us page within a click or two. This page is your opportunity to introduce yourself to your potential customers. The About Us page is a great place to share your team’s values and how they could align with the goals of potential customers.
Easy-To-Find Contact Information
Getting in touch easily and quickly is an important requirement for most customers. Make sure that visitors to your website have a range of options to get in touch straight from your site. The Contact Us page should always be an area of your website which can easily be accessed.
Products / Services
It is useful to have a separate page for each product or service and write as much detail about each as possible. Start each page with a brief summary of the product or service, then provide whatever other information you can. People have a lot of different information needs when they’re using the internet, but they usually want to find out what they’re looking for as quickly as possible. Therefore, the more relevant information you can provide about your product or service, the better.
Pricing
An effective pricing page is invaluable for controlling the price conversation, which in turn makes it easier for potential customers to make a purchase. Searching for a product’s price is a natural part of a customer’s buying decision. The majority of people who have made it down the funnel far enough to consider buying from you will likely look at your pricing page. Make sure that your pricing page has a simple, user-friendly layout with at least one call-to-action button.
Testimonials / Reviews
A customer review is a written reflection of a customer’s experience and feedback on your company’s products or services. Customers use reviews and feedback to help them decide whether or not to go ahead with purchasing your product or service. Customer reviews add social proof to your website. Feedback from customers will also give you important pointers on how you can improve your product or service and overall customer experience. One or two of your best reviews can be used on your homepage as social proof, which helps with building trust and credibility for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions / Help Center
An important element of any website is to have an FAQ page or Help Center. The more information you have in your FAQ’s or Help Center, the less time you will need to spend answering questions by email or phone. A great FAQ page or Help Center should address a customer’s most common questions or concerns as comprehensively as possible.
Blog Page
There are many benefits of including a blog page in your website. It is a great way to keep your site fresh and relevant. Blogs are easy to update and can be used to highlight new products, events, or even highlight things going on in your company.
Having a blog page helps drive traffic to your website and is a great resource for increasing the organic traffic to your website. Blogging for your business also helps you get discovered via social media. Every time you create a new article, you’re creating content that people can share on social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest which helps expose your business to a new audience that may not know you yet. Read more on why blogs are so important in digital marketing here.
Terms And Conditions
Undeniably the dullest page on your website, the Terms and Conditions page sets the rules for using your website. The main purpose is to include all the required clauses that you may need when things go wrong. Terms and Conditions may not be required by law, but it’s still a smart thing to include. Chances are that no one will ever read your Terms and Conditions, but they will certainly come in handy should any issues arise.
Wrap up
Now that you know the most important elements your website needs to succeed, you’re ready to get started!
See our blog for a wealth of information to help you plan and prepare your online marketing strategy once you have built your perfect website.
