Six Important Tips for a Great Website

How do you judge if a website is… to put it plainly, good? 

If your mind jumps to the colors, fonts, or perfectly branded images then you’re not alone.

These are the elements that I’m always drawn to as a website designer. It’s one of my favorite things to bring these elements to life to find the perfect combination to tell a client’s story.

But design isn’t the only thing that’s important when it comes to your website.

A good website is defined by both design and strategy.

You can’t have one without the other otherwise you’ll have a stunning website without a clear intention. 

Here are my best tips for a great website to help your website visitors become website customers:

1. Easy Navigation 

The navigation on a website is the guide for website visitors to get to know the website and gives them an overall view of the website. The navigation is usually at the top of the website (the header) and allows users to easily go from one page to another on a website. 

The header on the top of the website usually lists the main pages of the website:

• About
• Services or Products
• Resources (optional)
• Blog (optional)
• Portfolio (optional)
• Contact

My best recommendations for this section is to keep the names on the navigation clear and simple. They do not need to be clever. Clear and informative will beat the “cute words” every single time as it elevates the customer experience. Your customer will never get confused when they see a clear header. 

2. Use of Eye-Catching Visuals

Websites are meant to be visual and the photos that you use can set you apart from your competitors. The photos that you choose should represent your branding and your business personality.

Some questions to think about when choosing your images:

• What do you want the customer to feel when they see the image?
• Does the photo match how you describe your brand?
• Will your audience connect with an image?
• What keywords describe your brand?
• How does this image add value to my users experience?

I also recommend having photos of you on the site as well because this helps your audience connect with you more. Allowing for a personal connection helps bridge the gap between technology and an in-person experience.

3. Focus on Copywriting

Words matter–a lot. Why? Because your words are a bridge between you and your prospective buyer. Your copy should reflect who you are, what you do, for whom you do it, and why. Good copywriting has the power to persuade the reader to take a specific action, whether it’s purchasing a product, subscribing to a service, or simply engaging with you and your brand in a particular way. In all honesty, it can make or break your online business.

Your copy should:

• Focus on the benefits of the customer. Always keep your target audience in mind. Address their needs, wants, challenges, and pain points, and how your service or product will work for them. How will working with you achieve their goal?
• Keep it simple. Good copywriting is straightforward and easy to understand. Your audience should understand the benefits of your service quickly and easily. 
• Be scannable. Only 16% of readers read a website verbatim. By keeping your copy scannable, readers can quickly buzz through your website and walk away with a clear idea of what you do and I you can help them. Case and point, using section headers in this blog helped you determine whether or not to read it and which parts, if not entirely.
• Include your personality. People buy from people. Good copywriting reflects not only what you do but who you are and why you do it. Remember, your words are the bridge between you and your prospect–use them to make them feel like they’re starting a relationship with you. 
• Always include a strong CTA (call-to-action). Every piece of copy on your website should guide your audience toward taking a specific action. If you want them to book a call with you–tell them. If you want them to sign up for your email list–make it clear. Your CTA copy should be clear, strong, and persuasive. 

My friend Tiff Carey is a fantastic sales page copywriter. If you need help with creating stellar copy for your website, seek her out.

4. Show off your Customer Testimonials

One of the most powerful and strategic elements on your website is the testimonials of your past clients. In fact, 88% of customers have said that reading reviews will impact the decision that they make.

And, it makes sense. Are you more up to working with someone who a friend recommends? Recommendations elevate your website strategy and it’s such a simple thing to do. After you’re done working with a client, ask for a recommendation and remind them that it doesn’t have to be lengthy to be impactful.

**If you’re a local business, don’t forget to ask them to leave a review on your Google Business Profile page! That’s a great way to gather reviews as it serves as a way to help provide Google with credibility about your business as well as an easy bank of testimonials for you to pull from for your website. Be sure to provide them the link to make it easy for them to post the review.

Some helpful questions to ask to help the client write their recommendation are:

• How was the process working with me?
• What was your business like before you worked with me?
• What’s your business like after you worked with me?
• What’s one word you would use to describe working with me?

Giving them questions will be a helpful tool for how a client can format their testimonial that you can highlight on your website.

5. Make Your Site Include Mobile-Friendly Design

One of the easiest things to slip your mind when it comes to your website is to make sure that it’s mobile-friendly since you’re hyper-focused on the desktop version of your website. Both views are equally important but 61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly website.

From Google: Mobile-friendly sites show up higher in search results. Mobile searches make up more than half of searches on Google.com. For many advertisers, the majority of traffic comes from people on their mobile phones. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, visitors are 5 times more likely to leave.

Most website builders have this built-in as a feature these days but it’s always good to really review and analyze the mobile version of your website.

One of the best things about using Showit, a website builder software, is you’re able to design the mobile and desktop version simultaneously. This is an amazing feature that Showit offers as you can really customize the experience of your mobile viewer. Although, don’t get too carried away making your mobile site different than your desktop version as you want to make sure viewers can recognize they are in the right place.

Get one month free of Showit with my discount link.

6. A Clear Call to Action (CTA)

The call to action lets the reader know what action you want them to take after they visit a page on your website. This helps the reader know the next step that they can take to reach out to you, buy a product, read your blog, connect on social, check out your podcast, etc. 

Some examples that you can use on your website are:

• Subscribe Now
• Learn More
• Download Your Guide
• Book a Free Consult
• Sign Up 

The key to a great CTA is that it’s direct and that it stands out on the page.

Summary

When you combine these tips for a great website paired with a gorgeous website design and strategy, you’re bound to see your website visitors become dream website customers that you’re excited to work with. Just remember, your website is an extension of your business. How your future customer is able to experience your website is often their first interaction with your business so make sure you thoughtfully include these components into your website design!