The Top 12 Elements of a Successful WebsiteBased on over 8 years’ experience as a Sydney web design company Magicdust has come up
with the 10 key factors for a successful website. These elements are not really in order of
importance as they are all valuable in their own right. Executed in unison, these 12 elements form the puzzle for a successful website and online presence of any business.
1. Implement Conversion tracking
You need to clearly understand what the purpose of your website is and how you are going
to measure its success. Often this is measure by the rate of conversion your website or
marketing efforts achieve; this can be anything from a purchase to converting a lead into an
enquiry.
Measuring this is orientated around goal tracking, and can often be measured from your
Google Analytics account, as well as sales data or your website’s dashboard analytics. This
is often fairly quick to set up and is a really great way to test your website’s usability and
evaluate your current marketing efforts.
2. Compelling Call to actions
According to a recent article in the Guardian; ‘the modern day consumer will scan a page to
try and pick out the piece of information they are looking for’. With shorter attention spans
and an internet saturated with information, users don’t want to have to work hard to obtain
the information they’re after- or be sold to.
A great way to increase your conversion rate is to introduce great call to actions throughout
your website to guide users to what they’re after which is hopefully aligns with your point
of conversion. Examples of these would be adding a phone number in the top right hand
section of your website or having a ‘enquire now’ button throughout your website.
3. Effective about us pages
Often overlooked, the about us page is the go to section of a small business website. It
has become the place to find out key information about the business such as: its services,
governance, history, staff, and location and is also key for assessing its credibility.
The about us page should sum up your business and sell you as a company, much like what
was traditionally considered to be your elevator pitch. If you’re struggling to craft these 200
or so words, it is worthwhile to consider employing a copywriter or web design company to
help you craft the perfect pitch.
4. Intuitive User Journeys
When you know how customers are likely to move through your website, make sure you
make these pages easy to find. Also when considering how you would like your customers
to convert or what you would like them to do on your website, put convenience first. So if
users are likely to visit your about us page first but you want them to get in contact for a
quote, consider embedding an enquiry form on this page.
5. User Experience
Just as your user journey needs to be considered from a conversion perspective, your
website’s usability also needs to be considered. Creating a positive and valuable experience
for website visitors is important for creating a good first impression and demonstrating your
value as a business.
Make sure your navigation and site map is intuitive and easy to use, that all links are still
active and all functionality (such as forms and galleries) still work as expected. The easier
users can find information the more likely they are going to continue on your website’s
conversion path. Also a great user experience creates an affinity with your company and
gets your relationship off to a great start.
6. Mobile friendly
25% of internet traffic is now coming from mobile devices. And this number is increasing
steadily, so before long just having a website that can be accessed on a mobile device won’t
be enough. Your website will have to be optimized for mobile devices first and desktop
computers second. In our experience, the best way to achieve a website that provides the
same valuable functionality on all devices is with responsive design.
The main intention of a successfully mobile optimized website is to provide a positive user
experience. The easier your website is to use then the more likely users will stay on your
website, and if they are doing this on a mobile device then case for investing in responsive
design can’t be ignored.
7. Good content
Web 2.0 was all about the adage ‘content is king’, and while good quality content is still
important for SEO and providing valuable information for your customers- it is nothing
without thought out placement. User experience in our opinion holds precedence over
even the most expertly crafted content and on the most successful websites the two are
incredibly complimentary to each other.
If your content is focused around what will be interesting, easy to digest and valuable to
your users you’re on your way.
Excellent content however, manages to sell your business,
products and services in a way which visitors find valuable and don’t sense they’re being
sold to. This is achieved by having good quality content that is placed ‘in the right place at
the right time’.
8. Choosing the right CMS Platform
The platform that your website is built on is integral to the scalability and longevity of your
website. Most websites are built using a content management system these days, so you
could describe this as the scaffolding of your website and the website design as the ‘façade’
of your website.
By not investing in quality infrastructure on your website, you’ll be limiting your ability to
keep your content and website up to date. This inevitably has dramatic cost implications,
negative impacts on your SEO and if you neglect to choose a well-known platform this could
mean running updates and keeping your website secure could be difficult. Make sure you
research your CMS platform intensively before committing to ensure your website has a
good foundation on which to grow.
9. Marketing
The "Build it and they will come” philosophy sounds dubious in theory, and is even less
realistic in practice with websites. It is great to simply have a presence online where you
can direct people to for information and resources, but if you want to capitalize on the full
potential of the internet for your business you need a marketing strategy to support your
online presence.
There are 4 main forms of online marketing: PPC, SEO, email marketing, social media.
Certain types of online marketing work for certain businesses and industries better than
others. But when you find your sweet spot it can be a game changer for your business so
it is well worth exploring and experimenting with each avenue until you finely tune what
works well for you.
10. Website design companies
Website companies are a dime a dozen these days, and they can often seem to be all the
same and relatively disposable. However a good quality one is more difficult to find and
when you do they will become more of a long term partner for you. Online marketing and
websites often go hand in hand, and can be difficult to master if you’re not experienced
with digital.
A good website company will understand this but not hold any lack of knowledge over your
head. When selecting a website design company, look for one that is focused on educating
you and nurturing your business alongside you in the long term. Although online is a fast
paced environment, often a patient and calculated approach will be the most robust, so be
sure your website development company is interested in achieving long term gains for you,
rather than short term wins.
11. Good design
Good design is the number one factor for a successful website. This is not only the aesthetic
aspect of good design, but also the practical aspect. If a business manages to execute a
impactful and quality website design that ties in with valuable functionality they will almost
always experience a growth of leads.
A good design will tell you a lot, not only about the other aspects of a website’s success as
outlined above, but about the business itself. Not only is your website design often the first
impression of your website that customers will form a subjective opinion on, but it’s also
reflective of your values.
Ultimately, if you don’t place effort into your website functionality and design, this signals
to the client that you place a similar amount of effort into other aspects of your business,
ultimately causing them to lose faith in your ability to provide a specific good or service
for them.
This perception of your ability to provide value is essential the end goal of your
website and by including the 11 elements outlines in this article on your website; you’ll be
on your way to demonstrating this value successfully.
This article was contributed by Magicdust, a Sydney web design agency providing website
development, e-commerce solutions and online marketing services for businesses
throughout Australia. |
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