A website has grown into an invaluable tool in the world of business and e-commerce. But there is more to a website than meets the eye and not all websites are created equal. Some are effective tools for enhancing a business while others do little more than hint at the business’ existence. Today’s websites need to do more though. To truly serve a commercial entity effectively, a website needs to be equipped following a good website redesign project plan with a number of crucial features, some of which are explored below in this article.
An Appealing Design
Design is important in business website creation. The appearance of the website should be attractive enough to attract the target audience. If the website has a professional, appealing appearance, browsers are more likely to visit and stay on the page. An attractive design does not always mean using lots of bright colors though. What it does mean is that the colors, shapes and other elements such as text design should be strategically selected to appeal to the demography the business seeks to serve. Professionally designed websites won’t feature common mistakes such as cluttering or overcrowding and a dated look, both of which drive browsers away.
A User-Friendly Design
The most successful websites for commerce purposes are very user friendly. The information is organized in a logical manner allowing users to navigate the pages conveniently and find the information they seek. Design features like font style and size need to be decided on with the potential consumer in mind. Essentially, the question to ask when making the decisions is; ‘will this make the page easier for the user to read, understand and use?’
Interactive Features
Interactive features help to boost website success especially in the world of commerce. Features such as subscription forms and follow on links help to facilitate interactivity while also guiding the browser to other virtual spaces associated with the business.
Chat features that allow users to interact with representative software are found on most progressive business websites these days. This is a convenient way to provide convenient customer service while establishing and maintaining a positive profile for the entity.
One of the more cutting edge website features that is enhancing the performance of a business website today is the use of artificial intelligence or chatbots. These chatbots are used to give each user a personalized interaction with a virtual representation of the business. The fact that this feature is available 24/7s makes it a really useful tool as it means potential customers are always meaningfully engaged.
Useful and Engaging Content
The content on the website is also important when it comes to ensuring that the website meets performance expectations. Like the design, the content should be tailored to suit the needs and interests of the target audience. High-quality content helps to endow a website with not just appeal but also credibility.
Some crucial categories of website content for business purposes include an about us or company profile page as well as a contact us page. The former provides users with an idea of the founding principles and foundation story behind the business. The contact page facilitates access to the company’s other online locations as well as the physical ones. An action prompt commonly known as a call to action is also a very important feature of an effective business website. This feature encourages browsers to take action. This action may include: visiting the company’s online or physical store or subscribing to the blog or email newsletter.
A section of the company’s webpage can be dedicated to blogging. These blogs can serve as a means of empowering browsers with useful information while establishing a powerful presence for the brand. In addition to being engaging and useful, website content also needs to be reader-friendly and accurate. Grammatical errors and misinformation damage the professional appearance and credibility of the company.
Effective website content also features customer feedback. Reviews from satisfied customers help to boost the company’s image in the minds of browsers. Positive reviews will increase the odds of browsers deciding to become customers. Other evidence of the company’s positive impact on its clientele such as the logos of clients, images of past and current projects and links to media coverage will also help to demonstrate this positive image.
Designed for Lead Generation
In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, a commerce website needs to also function well as a lead magnet. In other words, it needs to have features that will help convert browsers into customers. This is where follow on links and subscription forms come in handy.
With the right team of professional and experienced graphic designers, on your project, you can establish and maintain a website that is effective in helping your business achieve success.