Nothing says “wow” like a good first impression when someone visits your website. If your current website is non-responsive, less than mobile friendly, heavy on poorly written code, and low on user experience options, it’s time for an upgrade. A brave, bold and well-executed website is a breath of fresh air. Here’s a look at 7 actionable tips to get you there.
Take your website to the next level
1. Refresh your website
Your website is an essential marketing and sales tool. It’s too valuable to leave passively sitting around for months or years on end. Perhaps, your website is a little outdated or needs a complete overhaul. Maybe you need a new website altogether. Whichever the case, build your website easier and faster with a free website builder like Wix.com.
You can create a stunning e-commerce website without coding skills, select a modern template, and customize every detail. Creating a beautiful online storefront with a powerful management system that is mobile friendly has never been easier.
2. Update your logo
Your brand is much more than a logo, but your logo speaks volumes about your brand. In the same way, a fresh coat of paint can transform a space an updated logo can make the right first impression. A logo redesign can be dramatic, with color, typeface, symbol, and name changes or on the subtler side. Look at your logo and consider if you need a big change or want to move in a more modern direction.
Ask yourself, does my current logo:
- communicate a clean design that is easily transferable across platforms (e.g., website, app, signs, business cards, and brochures)?
- work well on social media channels and website graphics?
- enhance readability across all devices and online platforms?
- accurately reflect the brand personality and image we want to create?
You can subtly improve your logo by:
- using all uppercase or all lowercase letters in wordmarks to add a modern feel
- removing drop shadows, 3D effects, and outlines to improve readability
- creating monogram versions of your logo for online and social platforms
3. Eliminate top online frustrations
What frustrates you when you visit a website for the first time? Research suggests sites that are hard to navigate, an inability to get answers to simple questions, and basic business details hidden in plain sight are chief among the problems with most online experiences. If you want to improve your website’s first impression, remove these obstacles.
The best websites communicate simple things well. Before you add shiny bells and whistles to your website, cover the basics. A clear and logical website that is easy to understand, and easy on the eye will generate more sales.
4. Replace bulky forms with conversational chatbots
“Hey, what are you doing here today? How can we help?”
In the on-demand, real-time world we live in, customers expect to find the information they’re looking for quickly and easily. This is where conversational marketing tools (e.g., chatbots) can make a big impact on your website conversions and overall first impression.
Chatbots are visual interfaces that facilitate conversations between the bot and site visitor, taking the form of chat bubbles in a messaging app. Apps like Drift, Landbot, Tidio, Olark, and others make it easier than ever to launch a customized and affordable chatbot in a few clicks. Your customers will interact with a chatbot for a variety of reasons, chief amongst them being: to get a quick answer in an emergency (37%), resolve a complaint or problem (35%), get detailed answers or explanations (35%), and find a human customer service agent (34%).
Qualify sales leads in minutes and help visitors complete their customer journey with ease. If your online forms don’t deliver the levels of engagement you need, then ditch them. If a Help Center and list of phone numbers don’t cut it, then chatbots present an interesting alternative.
5. Improve sales with link management tools
Do the changes you make to your website drive real results? What if we told you there’s a simple and powerful way to measure the impact of your web page updates? With free link management tools, you can create editable, trackable short URLs to divide and distribute traffic. The shortened, trackable links, when clicked, distribute traffic evenly to any number of destination URLs. It’s a smart way to see which variation of a web page performs the best and test call-to-action buttons, sales copy, and more. This simple tactic can ensure your site traffic is focused and driving conversions.
6. Create shoppable lifestyle content
Customers are digesting more content across a range of digital platforms. At the same time, they want to be the first to know about new products, ideas, and inspiration. As a result, the best websites speak to the lifestyle needs of their customers.
Lifestyle content goes beyond listing the features and benefits of your products or services. Instead, it digs deeper to discover the lifestyle commonalities of your ideal customers and create content that supports those insights. Create fresh content across your website, email, and social platforms to become a consistent resource and showcase your products and services in a way that adds real value to their lifestyle choices.
7. Upgrade website visuals
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a picture with a captivating design may be worth a million. Striking visuals can transform your website overnight! Create engaging visual content with DIY online graphic design tools like Easil, Stencil, and Picmonkey. And don’t forget to optimize image captions and metadata for search engines.
Make a good first impression
A great website provides a unique opportunity for startups and small businesses to stand out from the competition. Your website communicates your brand personality and values from the first moment a customer sees it. You only get one chance for a first impression, so make it a good one.
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