People whether consciously or unconsciously begin to judge a business from the second that they enter your website. It is your first impression and as a business owner it’s your job to make sure it’s a great one!
1) The Five Second Test
Your goal should always be to have every page of the website to be no more than two clicks away from any other page on the site. The most important links should not be buried. If there is a page you want a person to see don’t make it a maze to get there. People have very short attention spans on the web.
In web design this is called “the 5 second test” In the first 5 seconds of visiting a website the user should be able to tell:
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- What the site is about
- Why they should care
- What they are supposed to do next
This is an example of a website that would fail the 5 second test. Yes you can tell that it’s about selling your car but it doesn’t capture your attention and the sheer amount of information immediately visible makes it hard to tell what you should do next.
this website on the other hand you can immediately see from the logo and the heading that it’s a car rental website. You can see why you should use them from the variety of vehicles listed and the fact that they advertise the best rates. This is a clear value proposition. As well you can immediately see the next step the site wants you to make, filling out the form to search for available cars.
2) Clear Language
The language should be simple, clear and transparent. Avoid industry jargon. A good way to judge whether your website content is clear and understandable is to ask a few people who have no connection to your industry be they friends or family to read though it and have them point out any areas that are unclear. As a professional in the field it can be easy to overlook points that might not be understandable to prospective clients.
3) Good clean design
Having a visually pleasing site built with modern technologies is essential to giving the best possible first impression. If you’re website looks outdated then it make you seem outdated, and if your website is cluttered and hard to navigate then it makes it hard for people to find what they are looking for. If you make things to difficult for potential clients then they might just give up getting the information from you and go on to the next firm.
4) Responsive design
Having a responsive website means that your site looks good both on any size screen from a smartphone to a desktop computer. If your website is not responsive then it can create a frustrating experience for the growing number of people browsing on a mobile phone.
There is certainly a lot to think about in terms of your website. It can be difficult to get started but it doesn’t have to be! Having a website that you can be proud of can have lasting positive effects on your business! Recognizing a need is the first step.