Would you ever show up to a meeting with a potential client with your shirt untucked, a tie that's way too small, or without brushing your hair? If you're thinking "NO!" that's because you recognize the importance of making a good first (and hopefully lasting) impression. The same concept of a good first impression should be applied to your company website.
Your website is your business's online first (or sometimes second) impression. More people will potentially see your website than your physical location. A well-designed site will add more credibility to your business. There are many tools and companies-for-hire that can be used to easily create a website. However, just because you can easily create a website doesn't make it GOOD.
Web pages should be designed so a person can easily read the content and navigate through your site effectively. At the same time, content should be keyword optimized to enable people and search engines to quickly identify and understand the information provide. Some other important design elements to keep in mind are:
- Create a brand identity and use it across your entire site
- Have clear content and a straightforward call to action
- Use typography and colors that are easy to read
- Use headings, bulleted lists, text formatting and good spacing to make your message stand out because the average person actually only reads about 30% of the text on a page
Another very important characteristic of a good website is having a strong mobile version as well. A 2013 study shows that over 17% of web browsing is done on mobile devices. That number will only continue to grow, so it's very important to have a mobile optimized site as well as a desktop site. The major component of a GOOD mobile site is that whenever a potential client visits your site from a mobile device, they will be able to read and navigate through it without having to zoom in and out!
Your company website may be the difference between a potential customer doing business with you or someone else. Your website is vital to your online marketing efforts. It's where all of your potential clients are directed to so make sure you're making a good impression!
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