5 tips to help you improve and simplify your website

You only have an average of 15 seconds to capture the attention of your online audience.  And in a world where your website could very well dictate the need for an in-person visit or an online purchase, this 15-second challenge can seem AB.SO.LU.TELY terrifying.

At first.

You see, the key to building a great website – one that captures and maintains the attention of a person – is to keep things simple.  Too often, businesses feel the need to overcomplicate their website.  They bombard users with too much content, and they give away unnecessary information just for the heck of giving it away.

But when things are simplified and all that stuff is streamlined, it’s easier for people to engage with your content.  Your website suddenly becomes easier to read, easier to maneuver through, and just easier in general, and because of this, overcoming that 15-second challenge has become an actual possibility.

Why?  Because everything is easier.  And when things are easier, people are happier.

Here’s what you should keep in mind when improving your website.

Contact Information

Your phone number, location, and email address should be the easiest thing to find on your website.  It should be within one click of the homepage and should be found somewhere near the top of the page.  Consider placing the phone number on the homepage and making it clickable, as well.  This way, if they’re on a phone, they can tap to call.

When they get to the Contact Us page, don’t give people any more than what they need – phone number, location, and email address.  You can also include hours of operation and maybe a map of where your brick-and-mortar exists.  This is not the place for an introduction to your business or a detailed history of your where, what, and when.  This is the place where a consumer has made up their mind to contact you – so don’t ruin it.

Photos

The photos on your website are, in many cases, considered more valuable than your text.  People want images.  But not just any images… good ones.

High-quality, relatable photos are the ones that will make the most impact.  They will draw the person in and basically force them to read your content.  Which is what you need.

It’s crucial to think outside the box here, though.  Just because you’re an accountant, doesn’t necessarily mean you need a photo of a spreadsheet or two people discussing numbers at a desk.  Get creative and think in terms of what will spark the most interest.

Text

Bullets.  Short descriptions.  Simple words.  Conversational tones.  These are the things that work now.  People don’t want huge paragraphs, and they don’t want to open up the dictionary just to read your website.  Keep your content informational but engaging and user-friendly.

When it comes to text, you should also remember to keep it as user-centric as possible.  Focus on the customer rather than your business.  You’re not just selling a service or product… you’re solving a problem.  Remember that, and you’ll go far.

Roadmap

Your navigation should be straightforward and streamlined as much as possible.  If you offer a variety of services, do your best to narrow these down to four or five core services.  If you sell products, make sure these are categorized in a logical way.

If a consumer has to work too hard to move through your site, then they’ll be gone way before that 15-seconds is up.  And if they have too much stuff to look through or have trouble understanding where to find specific items, then your site has crossed a not so pretty line.

Social Media Icons

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Whether they’re on the side, near the menu, or on the footer of your website, you need those social media icons.  And if you don’t have a need for social media icons, then you have yourself a problem.

Either way, social media icons are a must for any professional website because your social media profiles are the logical next-step for a person seeking out your services.  If you have them on your website and they’re easy to get to, then you’ve made things – yup, you guessed it – easier.  And when you make things easier for the consumer, they suddenly like your business more.