When it comes to creating a website there are key elements that every site needs in order to be successful and here I outline the top five of those elements.
It is more than just creating a website with a beautiful design. As a creative, we can get caught up in the colors, layout and over all aesthetics of the website. Is it important? Yes, but functionality for your user, the ease or ability for your audience to engage with your site and how impactful it is are more important when it comes your website.
Here are five things that your website needs in order to be successful.
1 | Strong Branding
Your website should reflect your brand’s identity with a cohesive logo, color scheme, typography, and tone of voice. This is where you show your personality and style, which in turn attracts users to you if your brand identity resonates with them. It is important to note that consistency of your brand across platforms and marketing materials helps build trust and makes your site memorable. Your branding is the first impression, so make it count!
This is usually where creatives get “stuck” because we think it needs to be perfect before we can “show” it to the world. Try not to over complicate this element of the process, especially if this is your first business/website. Simplicity will keep you moving forward.
Tip: Limit your color palette to five or six colors including text and background colors. Limit your typography to two or three fonts (headings, subheadings and general content), and use high-quality images for logos and other media.
2 | Clear Navigation
Visitors to your website need to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. An intuitive menu structure, search bar, and well-organized pages ensure your audience stays engaged instead of leaving frustrated.
Tip: Stick to simple, easy-to-read navigation menus and prioritize user experience over complexity. A visitor to your website should not need more than three clicks to find what they are looking for…the fourth click is away from your website and on to the next website in their search for what they are looking for.
3 | Quality Content
Content is the heart of a website. Whether it’s a blog post, product description, or service pages, your content should inform, inspire, and drive action. In order to improve your site’s visibility on search engines it is important to include SEO-optimized copy. There are great plugins that you can add to your site that can assist in creating content that is easily indexed by search engines.
Tip: Break up text with images, videos, and infographics to make your content more digestible. Text “heavy” pages can cause users to click away, so keep your content brief and informative. Simplicity is key!
4 | Responsiveness
With the majority of users browsing on mobile devices, your website must look and function perfectly on all screen sizes. A responsive design ensures you won’t miss out on valuable traffic. If your website is not responsive than your content and your images will be to small to view or read. What do you do when you visit a website that you have to zoom in to read it? Do you stay or do you go? Content is important if the use can’t easily read it they will “bounce” to the next site in their search.
Tip: Test your site on different devices to ensure a seamless experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop. I use a Chrome extension called “Window Resizer” that allows you to view your website on different size “devices” fight on your desktop. In addition, depending on your theme you may be able to see your page on mobile, desktop and tablet right from WordPress.
5 | Call to Actions (CTAs)
CTAs guide your visitors toward a specific action that you want them to perform, whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, buying a product, or booking a consultation. Make your CTAs bold, clear, and easy to click. Your CTA can be located at the top of your website, sprinkled in your content on multiple pages, and in the bottom half of your website just before the footer area.
Tip: I recommend one to two CTAs on a website in order to be clear about what you want the visitor to do. Once you decide what your CTAs are than use action-oriented language like “Get Started,” “Learn More,” “Subscribe Now” or “Buy Now” to drive conversions.
Summary
By focusing on these five foundational elements, you can create a website that not only attracts visitors, but engages and potentially converts them into loyal clients.
Does your website contain the five elements?
If you aren’t sure just get in touch for a professional website audit!
