Having a website is crucial for any business and not just for generating sales. A well-designed page helps build your brand image while establishing trust and creditability.
However, rushing through the process and uploading anything isn’t always the best decision. If you want your site to be effective, you need to ensure that it contains all of the necessary information in a well-designed format.
Want to learn more? In this article, we are going to talk about ten essential features your business website needs.
Let’s get started.
Accessibility Features
Undoubtedly, one of the most important things to remember when designing a website is that it has to be accessible. Everybody should be able to use your page, regardless of their disabilities.
It’s crucial to ensure that assistive technologies such as keyboard-only navigation and voice recognition work effectively. This can seem rather difficult at first, but there is software out there that can help without sacrificing your design elements.
Check out squarespace ada compliance for more information.
Contact Information
This might seem like a given, but you would be surprised at how many website owners accidentally leave out their contact information. No matter what type of business you operate, customers should have multiple ways to reach you.
Alongside listing your phone number and email address, it’s also wise to have a map location and links to your social media platforms. Place it next to information such as your business hours so that nothing is missed.
Domain Name
You can’t have a website without a domain name, and it’s best to put a lot of thought into this. It must be memorable and remain close to your existing brand. Otherwise, people won’t know what to expect when they click.
Keep in mind the length, spelling, and whether or not there are similar sites out there. Being unique is good, but you don’t want it to be so crazy that it doesn’t look authentic.
Reviews and Testimonials
Above we mentioned how websites build trust, and one way to do that is with reviews and testimonials. If a customer sees that other individuals are satisfied with your products and services, they are much more likely to purchase an item or reach out to you.
Just remember that the experiences you select to display should be honest. You don’t want to appear “too good to be true,” as that can actually have a negative effect. Nobody is perfect, and not all of your products will be loved.
Search Engine Optimisation
Search Engine Optimisation, also known as SEO, is the process of improving the quality of your content to become more noticeable in search engines such as Google. For instance, a well-designed site will appear on the first page of results rather than the fourth or fifth.
While there is no “one feature” that can achieve this, there are several practices that you can follow. This includes creating SEO-focused content, clear descriptions, and relevant internal/external linking.
Visual Symbols and Clear High-Quality Images
Nobody likes a website that is difficult to browse. Too many words can instantly make a page appear cluttered, and it can be incredibly overwhelming to look at.
Using visual symbols and clear images will not only increase appearance but help with overall navigation. The best part is that you can have them fit your brand theme to create a cohesive appearance across your platforms.
You can find some tips on taking high-quality pictures for your website here.
Newsletter Sign-Up
Email marketing is a great way to get information to customers who are already interested in your products and services. So, be sure to include a pop-up or link allowing individuals to sign-up for your newsletter.
If you’re having trouble generating interest, try and add some sort of incentive, like 10% off after signing up. Of course, it shouldn’t be your only type of marketing, but it’s great to include it in your overall plan.
Blog Posts
A blog might not be considered essential for some, but with so many benefits, it still deserves a spot on this list. As well as boosting your search engine ranking as we discussed above, it also helps to improve traffic and brand awareness.
What’s also great to note is that any of your posts can be used as extra content on your social accounts. 2-4 a week seems to have the most impact, but you can always start small and work your way up to generating more content.
Call to Action (CTA)
A Call to Action or CTA is a term that is used in marketing to make an immediate sale or to prompt a response. It includes words and phrases that can compel readers to act in a specific way.
For instance, buttons such as Add to Cart, Get Started, Subscribe, Learn More, or Reserve are just a few examples that you can use. They should always be included underneath headings and descriptions with clear messages such as a product or service title.
The goal is to promote a sense of urgency without being overly flashy or pushy. Anything too “over the top” may appear spammy or fake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Finally, another thing that you don’t want to forget to include is a detailed F&Q section. From shipping details to refund policies and other facts, having all of your important information in one accessible place really is beneficial.
It will prevent you from having to answer unnecessary requests via email or chat and will potentially stop some customer complaints from even occurring. Just be sure to keep things short and sweet. Lengthy or overly descriptive responses will only lead to further confusion.
Final Words
And that’s it! These are ten essential features that your business website needs. Now that you know where to begin, you can work towards designing a beautiful, accessible, and functional site that your customers and viewers will love. It may take a lot of preparation, but it will all be worth it in the end.
