Imagine you’re slated for a television interview highlighting your business with the local news this afternoon. Did you immediately look down to see what you’re wearing? How fresh is your haircut? You’re probably wishing you could fit in a quick workout or pick up a last-minute lesson on makeup contouring.
It’s your chance to make a great first impression, and you don’t want to waste it.
Your website is responsible for that first impression with every visitor that finds you through an online search, social media post or paid ad. Is your website a good representative for your business?
Let’s walk through four clues that it’s time for an update:
Your Visitors Click Away in Confusion. If you’re using more than just a few categories to organize the pages of your website, you may be effectively sending potential customers away. A site that’s complicated or confusing tends to frustrate users. Here are a few things to check:
- Make sure your site is straightforward, with categories that are easy to find and clearly describe what they are.
- Test your links and make sure each one works.
- Follow standard web design conventions so that visitors experience seamless visit to your site.
Things Have Become a Bit Cluttered. Too many images and videos. A few animated characters. Background music that layers behind videos.
Whether your site doesn’t feature enough white space or it simply has too many bold colors and fonts, it’s easy to get cluttered on your site. You’re proud of your brand, and it can be hard to see what’s critical to your visitors. That’s why it’s a good idea to ask some individuals who aren’t connected to your business to take a tour and tell you what they think. What’s charming to you may be abrasive to someone else.
You’re Losing Visitors to Responsive Sites. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re missing opportunities. Desktop Internet use took a backseat to mobile browsing, researching and buying nearly a decade ago, so it’s critical that your site is navigable from a variety of mobile devices. This means that users can access all the same functionality, no matter what device they are using, and they don’t have to scroll or resize to see the features.
Even if you’re convinced that you’re not missing business via a mobile device, you should know that Google takes responsiveness into consideration in its search results algorithm.
Your Branding is Muddled. When your website has too many fonts, colors and a wide variety of images, it can be difficult to distinguish your brand identity. With visitors to your site drawing conclusions about your credibility in mere seconds, it’s important that your site have a distinct look.
Branding isn’t just cosmetic; it communicates volumes about your company’s values and the importance you place on your connection with customers. A consistent font, color scheme and tone on your website all contribute to making that great first impression when visitors arrive.
Is your website due for an update? Let’s sit down and take a tour of your site together. We can help you determine whether certain elements need a quick refresh or if it’s time for a complete redesign. Contact us at SJC Marketing today to learn more.