There’s no better time to rethink your website. With businesses reopening and customers ready to resume shopping, a nice new site that grabs attention will give you an advantage in your market.
Here are five important rules to follow when starting or redesigning your company website:
If you can, work with a professional
While you undoubtedly know more about your business than anyone, it’s essential to get a new perspective when you’re marketing your services or products online. We’re sometimes a little too close to our work and can get stuck in a cycle of going the tried-and-true route. That approach can leave your site looking outdated when stacked against your competitors. The creativity and keen eye of a web or graphic designer can ensure that your site will catch customers’ attention. If you have one on your team, great. If not, do a little research and find one who has a proven track record.
Design for mobile first
Viewer habits have changed with the overwhelming number of smart phones, laptops and tablets in use. On average, more than half of your customers or potential ones are checking out your site on something other than a desktop. Responsive design, which lets your website adapt to the window size of your user’s screen, is a must. Also remember to use large enough font sizes for cell phones, make it easy to get back to the home page, cut down on the verbiage and simplify your layout to increase load times.
Have a clear call to action
The most effective marketing vehicles are ones that include calls to action, a prompt that encourages someone to do something. Your website must have one, whether it’s a button saying, “call us today,” “start a free trial,” or “subscribe to our newsletter.” Give your customers a little direction that encourages them to interact with you and your site.
Keep it real
When it comes to photography, viewers want to see authentic content. Staged or some stock images look phony. Let your competitors do that. Instead, feature shots that show your employees on the job or working with customers. The photos need to be of a good enough resolution to feature on your website but most any cell phone can handle that. If you really want to make a strong impression, hire a professional photographer to get quality shots that you can use on the web and for print advertising.
Concentrate above the fold
This newspaper phrase is used by web designers to indicate content that can be seen without scrolling. Grab your viewers’ attention with a compelling image and interesting text that encourages the user to stay involved with your website. Of course, this is more of a challenge on your mobile site. With that in mind, remember Rule No. 1 by working with a professional web or graphic designer.
West Press’ talented staff is here to help you each step of the way — from graphic design to printing to mailing services to large format to website development. Contact West Press or your Account Executive at 520-624-4939 today.