A common misconception among business owners is that once their website is launched, their work on it is done. However, much like society, trends and user behavior change, and your site needs to consider these shifts as they come.
Depending on your website goals and target audience, the elements you include on your site will vary, but there are still some elements many of the same businesses and industries need to consider. Here is a list of the top elements most sites should take into consideration in 2019 and beyond.
No Sliders on Your Headers
Sliders were once a great idea for your header images, and while it technically makes sense to showcase as many visuals as possible in this section of precious real estate, it’s terrible user experience. It’s very rare that someone is going to watch all the photos pass through a slider, so it’s best to stay away from them. If you want more insight into this, here’s a post about why we think sliders are a waste of time for your website.
Clearly State Why You’re Important
People are coming to your website to see what value you can provide them; make this as clear as possible throughout your whole site. Not only can you show this through your website content, but through other elements too. Demonstrate your importance through testimonials, your process, or even videos. One of your website’s goals needs to be successfully showing why you understand your audience’s issues and how you are the clear winner to solve them.
Whitespace is Your Friend
Apple’s website is one of the brands to prove that whitespace never goes out of style. Whitespace makes your website look clean and allows users to take in the important elements of your site (such as content and images). Cramming in everything important above the fold is no longer a best practice; allow your users to scroll through your site to draw focus into what’s most important.
Make Calls-to-Action Clear and Abundant
Every website shares the goal of getting users to the next step in your buying journey, and the primary way to get them to that next step is through your calls-to-action. If you want someone to fill out your contact form or buy a product from your inventory, these calls-to-action need to be clear in their value to your audience and placed all over your site. Also, don’t just focus on one call-to-action, as people may be in different places of how quickly they want to work with you. That’s why adding in deliverables such as whitepapers could be a viable second option for users.
Blog About It
Blogs come with a lot of benefits, ranging from organic SEO benefits to becoming a clear industry expert for your audience. We’d argue that any business should have a blog, especially if they want to be competitive online. Blogging topics can range from tutorials on how to use your products, opinion pieces about an industry topic, or lifestyle posts about your community. Long story short: add a blog to your website!
Page Speed is More Important than You Know
Your website’s speed plays a significant ranking factor with search engines, as well as your reputation with users. Slow sites leave a bad impression with users and Google, so it’s important to make this a priority. If you don’t know where your site speed compares to the standards. Google has created a tool called PageSpeed Insights that will tell you how your site loads on desktop and mobile devices. If your site’s speed is poor, talk to a web professional on how to make it faster or check out this post.
Your website is a vital asset for your business; keep these elements in mind when building or redesigning yours for maximum impact!
To learn more about these elements or if you have any questions about them, contact us today!
