In today’s digital world, having a website is essential for any business that wants to stay competitive. But just because you have a website doesn’t mean it’s going to be successful. There are certain elements that all successful websites have in common. Follow these five idiot-proof steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating a website that converts visitors into customers.
1. Define Your Goal
Before you even start building your website, you need to know what your goal is. Are you looking to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your brick-and-mortar location? Sell products or services online? Once you know your goal, you can start to build out the rest of your site with that goal in mind. Every element of your website – from the copy to the design – should be working towards achieving your goal.
2. Do Your Research
Before you start creating content or designing your website, it’s important to do your research. Look at what your competition is doing and see what’s working (and not working) for them. See what types of content are performing well on their sites and try to emulate that on your own site. You should also take some time to research your target audience and find out what type of content they’re looking for. There’s no sense in creating content that no one is going to want to read.
3. Make It Visually Appealing
People are visual creatures and we tend to be drawn to things that look good. When someone lands on your website, you want them to be impressed by its look and feel. Hire a professional web designer to create a site that’s visually appealing and easy to navigate. Remember, first impressions count!
4. Write Compelling Copy
The copy on your website is just as important as the visuals. In order for people to convert (achieve your goal), you need to give them a reason to do so. Your copy should be clear, concise, and persuasive. It should persuade people to take the desired action and convince them that they need whatever it is you’re selling.
Use active voice and strong verbs to keep people engaged, avoid using industry jargon, and focus on benefits rather than features. And always proofread your copy! Nothing will turn people off more than typos and grammar mistakes.
5 . Use Call-to-Actions
Your call-to-actions (CTAs) are what tell people what you want them to do on your site (“Buy now!” “Sign up for our newsletter!” “Contact us!”). They should be placed prominently on every page of your site so people always know what the next step is. And they should be designed in a way that makes it impossible for people NOT TO click on them (think: strong colors, contrasting fonts, etc.). If done right, CTAs can be extremely effective in converting visitors into customers or leads.
Creating a successful website takes time, effort, and a whole lot of planning. By following these five steps – defining your goals, doing your research, making it visually appealing, writing compelling copy, and using call-to-actions – you can create a website that converts visitors into customers or leads. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
