Once upon a time, just having a website or online store was a pretty good experience. Now, it’s a little more complex than that.
Your website needs to load, and fast
As new browsers, phones, and operating systems come out, you’ll need to make sure your website loads and looks good in all of them. Responsive website design will make this much easier.
Continually test your load speed across all of these, too. If your page takes longer than 3 seconds to load, you’re likely losing out on a lot of traffic before they ever hit the homepage.
You need to get social
84% of online shoppers use social media for recommendations before making an online purchase. Even if you’re not in the eCommerce space, linking your socials to your site helps to build trust and authenticity.
Including testimonials or product reviews works much the same. Social proof has a huge influence over purchase decisions – customer reviews are trusted up to 12 times more than brand marketing materials.
The socialization doesn’t have to end there – you can also integrate your Facebook page Messenger with your website, and build out a chatbot to help users get further along the funnel.
Consumers want real-time answers to their questions, and 75% of online shoppers expect an answer within 5 minutes. Setting up a chatbot can take care of these questions as they arise, meaning you don’t have to be online 24/7.
You need to beef up your security
Any website that deals with sensitive information need to stay one step ahead of the security game. Not doing so leaves both you and your customers at risk.
A no-brainer if you haven’t already – install an SSL certificate. That little padlock next to your URL is a huge signifier of trust. In fact, Google Chrome will actually flag your website as not secure if you don’t have an https domain.
You’ll also need to keep on top of any legal security obligations, as the GDPR privacy overhaul in 2018 (also known as the time our inboxes filled with new privacy policies).
Your website needs to grow with your business
As your product or service range grows, so too does the number of steps for a user to find what they’re looking for. No one wants to spend time scrolling through irrelevant products, and your users will just leave if using your site is too difficult or time-consuming.
Introducing simplified menus and search functionality will make it easier to navigate your site, meaning customers can spend more time reading about your products than looking for them.
You need to be willing to take on feedback
No matter how attached you are to your website if your customers don’t like it – you need to listen.
Seek out feedback from visitors who don’t convert as well as repeat customers to find out how your website stacks up from a consumer view. This information is more valuable than a million tips on website optimization because it’s tailored to your brand. It’s just up to you to use it.
Whether you’re looking to launch a new website or eCommerce store or want to give your current site an overhaul, The Natives specialize in conversion-driven website design and development.
We’ll take care of improving your site, so you can focus on running your business. Let’s do it.