EIGHT THINGS EVERY WEBSITE NEEDS

In today’s world, the website has essentially become the new business card. It is the representation of who you are and what you do, and similar to a business card, there are certain items that every website should have. Whether you are a big or small business your website needs to be cohesive and clearly represent how you can help the people visiting. You have about 15 seconds to grab the user’s attention before they decide to leave your website, which is why today we will be discussing eight things every website must-have. 

“A successful website does three things: It attracts the right kinds of visitors. Guides them to the main services or product you offer. Collect Contact details for future ongoing relation.” ― Mohamed Saad

1. Who You Are And What You Do 

The most important thing to have on any website is an explanation of who you are and what you do. This should be apparent from the first fifteen seconds spent on the page. More than this however you need to immediately assign something unique about your business in relation to others in your field. This is often done through specific wording that lets the user know exactly what they will get when working with you. This wording will ultimately depend on the field that you work in. Let the consumer know exactly what you do and they will have a reason to either stay on or leave your page. 

2. Call To Action 

In the header, it is essential to have a call to action or something you want the user to do while they are on your page. This can include statements such as book an appointment, call us now and schedule your session today. Giving a clear direction as to what you want the user to do makes them more likely to do so. The call to action will ultimately depend on what type of service you are offering, but it is essential that you have one on the page. Your call to action can also act as a lead generator if it requires an email or phone number to access the offering. 

3. Contact Form 

While this may seem obvious, having a clear and easy to access contact form is something that every website needs. If a client is not sure about your service, needs more information, or wants to ask questions a clear and easy to see contact form can be the difference between getting that person business and them exiting the page to go somewhere else. The contact form should be concise and straight to the point. The more fields that a person has to fill out the less likely they are to complete a form, so keep that in mind when constructing yours. 

4. Social Proof (Testimonials)

One of the most important things to have is Social Proof. When a user is new to your business they need an assurance that whatever you are offering is going to work for them. While you can and should make your own claims about the effectiveness of your product, you need to give them other perspectives to listen to which prove your claims. While the testimonials can be long or short they need to be real. Not only is it dishonest to have fake testimonials it will ultimately be ineffective in the long run as it will quickly become apparent whether you are able to deliver the service or not. 

“Your website is the center of your digital eco-system, like a brick and mortar location, the experience matters once a customer enters, just as much as the perception, they have of you before they walk through the door.” 

― Leland Dieno,

5. Unique Selling Proposition (How Are You Different?)

One of the most important things to have on a website is what makes you different from someone else offering the same thing. Differentiation is important in any situation but it is especially important when it comes to your website. Users need to know why they should use your product over someone else’s. This is an opportunity to really brag about what makes your business so great, and you should take that opportunity when it presents itself. Your Unique Selling Proposition should also be in line with your personal brand. For instance, if you are a law firm that has brand themselves as being extremely compassionate, your USP could be The law firm that not only fights for you but with you. Whatever it is make sure that it sets you apart from your competitors. 

6. Service/Product Offering 

Make your service offering clear on your homepage. Specifically, you need to include, what your service is, how it can help the user and the benefits of using the service. The benefits of your product need to be made especially clear so that you can convey to the user how you make their life better. This is also the place to build value for the business overall. 

7. Social Media Links 

In this day and age, it is imperative that businesses have a Social Media presence, and it is important that this presence is demonstrated across your website as well. Your Social Media is another opportunity to demonstrate the value of your brand to anyone who comes across it, and in some instances, it can convey information that your website may not be able to. Make sure to include your Social Media links so that the user can get a better feel for who you are as a business. That someone feels they know who you are the more likely they are to trust you and their business. Bringing the personalizing aspect that is Social Media into your website is an invaluable tool. 

“When it comes to promoting your business' online presence, there's no better starting point than a professional, neat, and easy-to-navigate web design.” 

― Forge Web Design

8. Clear and Cohesive Structure and Style

Visual aesthetics is the most important thing to have on a website next to content. If a website is visually unappealing users will click off of it within seconds of entering the page, it doesn’t matter if you have the greatest product in the world if your website is ugly people will not stick around to find out. As a result, it is important that you have a cohesive site structure and style. This would mean you need to have a clear color palette, headings, subheadings, and body paragraphs need to be consistent, and your website should flow as if telling a story each section of the site adding value along the way. 

Your website is the cornerstone of your success online. Think through every aspect of a section and really think about the value that it adds to your website as a whole. Your website is an important aspect of your business so make sure to treat it as such. If putting together a website seems overwhelming Rosemint Media is happy to help, click this link if you'd like help putting your website together.