With the New Year quickly approaching, many will be making New Year’s Resolutions as a way to kick-start a change. That new goal may be to lose weight, read more, or get more sleep. For businesses, it is a great time to set a goal to review your website. Make sure your website is accessible – easy to load, read, and navigate.
2015 brought to light the sheer number of people – 4 out of 5 consumers, are using smartphones to shop. And while shopping, 40% will consult 3 or more channels while shopping. For those websites that are not responsive, or have a mobile design, now is the time to remedy that issue. Many of those mobile shoppers will quickly leave your site and others will not have the patience to search for what they need.
Take a critical look at your website. Make notes and prioritize the items that need to be fixed or revised. Anything that isn’t working correctly, fix immediately. Look for areas that could be modified to make the search process for new customers quicker and easier. For those of you using market automation tools, begin by taking a look what sections of your site are getting the most visits, and what areas are not. Use this as a way to determine if you need to boost different sections of your site with promotion or through navigation.
Below are 5 key categories to consider when reviewing your website:
1. Responsive
When was the last time you took a look at your website using a mobile device? Doing so is a great way to see what your new customers see. Check to make sure your website downloads quickly. If it doesn’t take a look at the number and size of the images on your website. With regard to functionality, your website needs to support all major browsers – you don’t want to lose someone simply due to the fact they can’t see your website properly since you don’t support their browser.
2. Ease of navigating
Whether you are perusing your website through the use of a mobile device or a laptop, your website should be easy to get around. Anyone should be able to quickly find the answer to their question. Consider relocating or consolidating any unnecessary top-line navigation categories. If it is a challenge to find items when using a laptop, check out the difficulty when using mobile. Top traffic categories ought to have top-line visibility. You have less than 8 seconds to capture the attention of a user before moving on, so make it easy for them to find what they want and buy. Consistent navigation throughout your site helps, as it provides predictability to those new to your site.
3. Design
Provide a clean and consistent format. Use plenty of white space so that it is easy for users to see what you are highlighting, whether that is a new promotion, press release or even new messaging. Your focus is to capture their attention so they stay on your site long enough to see what you have to offer.
4. Quality content
For new buyers who land on your website for the first time, will they be able to quickly understand what you have to offer and the benefits of your offering? Is your message clear and concise and not wordy? Is the style conversational – not using too many industry terms for those who may be novices? Your blog is one of the key ways to attract new buyers, address their problem (why they are on your site) and solutions that lead them to a resolution. If you don’t have a blog, consider adding one. It is one of many tools in the bag that can help you to make connections with new buyers.
5. Easy to contact
Make it easy for a prospective customer to locate contact information from your website, whether that is through online chat, email, or phone call. When you don’t make this information accessible, new buyers or current customers have no way to contact you for help or answer questions. Your website is your brand. And your contact information is often the first step to customer service. While providing an FAQ will help some, make sure you are available and accessible to help. Otherwise you might be on the ugly end of a social media rant.
Striving to provide a positive experience for users on your website is an ongoing endeavor. As technologies and use on the Internet continues to evolve, look for ways to make your website easier to use, easier to comprehend, easier to get around, easier to capture new and current customer’s attention and connect. Your time, effort, and patience will pay off in terms of extended user visits, higher conversions, and positive customer experiences.