The ingredients for a great website

Nowadays, it's hard to imagine a world without the Internet. We all rely on websites for shopping, gaining knowledge, looking for services, and much more. In fact, in 2022, statistics suggested that UK users spend an average of 5 hours and 47 minutes online every day.

To be part of that space, you need a website that will stand out from the crowd. But how do you ensure that your website will get you noticed… and for the right reasons?

If your website is going to be successful, there are some key ingredients you need for the perfect online space. So, let's have a look at what you need to consider.

What makes an excellent website?

Good design – Does your website look great? Does it convey professionalism? You've worked hard to create a strong brand for your company, and your website acts as a shop window for your organisation. Consistency is essential for displaying effective branding, so it is equally important to reflect this on your website. A stunning website should echo your company's brand guidelines, using the correct colour palette and relevant fonts.

Taking time to really consider good web design will really pay off. It creates a great first impression and affects how people view your company.

Excellent UX – Can your customers find what they are looking for? A website that people will want to return to must have easy navigation as a top priority. Your website should think about its user and make sure that it is intuitive. If a website is hard to use, it is likely that your customers will leave the website without finding what they are looking for. Worst case scenario, they will leave your website and look for one of your competitors, and no one wants that!

You also need to make sure that calls to action are clear, so you can drive your customers to make decisions. Also, make it easy for them to request further information or contact you if they need to. As with anything, the key to success is making yourself available.

Get responsive – According to Statista, as of June 2023, just under 55% of people use their mobile devices to view websites. If over half your audience is looking at your website on a mobile phone, you need to bear that in mind. Make sure your website looks just as impressive on a mobile phone as it does on a desktop. In fact, it probably makes sense to think about mobile first.

Captivating Content – You also need to ensure your website is informative. Let your customers clearly understand the product or service you are offering. Ensure that your website's content is high-quality, engaging, and informative. Use impactful imagery on your website to really entice them. Engage your users with the words on your website to encourage them and instil confidence. Your words have meaning and can create an impact.

Customers want to be sold to. Customers want to feel that they are making the right buying decisions. The content on your website has the power to influence your customers' choices.

Get found with SEO – We all understand your website needs to feature on Google to be successful. So, search engines need to know how to find your website and what it has to offer.

It is hugely important that SEO (search engine optimisation) is built into your website. Without a robust search strategy, you'll lose out on potential customers who cannot find you. A well-optimised website with a well-thought-out SEO strategy will include keywords, valuable content and blog writing. In short, SEO drives traffic to your website and leads to conversions.

Once your SEO strategy has been implemented, integrating analytics into your site will allow you to keep track of your traffic. Reviewing analytics helps you understand your customer's behaviour to continually improve your site's performance.

Audit your website – By reviewing your current website, you can understand what areas need improvement to maximise your site's performance. While there are many free tools available, our SEO experts can take that knowledge and translate it into a dynamic strategy.

You can look at the statistics available from the likes of Google to run your own audit, which is great. However, an SEO specialist makes it their business to go deeper and create a working plan. With this strategy in your arsenal, you can boost your website's rankings. As your website get more noticeable, you'll find more leads, conversions and, ultimately, more sales!

Get social – Social media has become part of our daily lives. We get news via our social media feeds, chat to family and friends and it's a source of entertainment. However, we also see companies putting their brands in front of us via social media channels. Whether we see brand awareness campaigns or direct sales posts, companies are maximising their online presence through social media.

Think about which social media platforms are most appropriate and beneficial for your company. Where is your audience? What engages your customer? Social media will help you spread the word, increase brand awareness and increase website traffic. So, it makes sense to integrate your social media channels into your website.

Web designers who produce results

By considering each of these ingredients, you'll get a brilliant website and benefit from how the Internet can push your business forward. Get the blend of design, functionality, user experience and strategy right, and you have the makings of a successful website.

Eyeweb understands what it takes to make your business stand out online. We have an experienced team with expertise in web design, project management, SEO and digital marketing strategy. By combining our strengths, we can ensure that you have a website that looks great and gives you the performance you need.

Contact our team of web designers in Hull, and we'll provide you with sound advice and continual support for your online presence.