9 Essential Ingredients Your Website Needs to Survive

If you own or run a business, then you know you have to have a website or at the very least, a web presence. About 79% of Americans shop online as of December 2016, and that number has likely gone up. If you aren’t online, then you are missing out on a lot of business.

So you need a website, but it can’t be just any old website. If your website doesn’t appeal to your customers or it can’t be found, then it won’t do you any good. There are plenty of bad sites out there, and you don’t want yours to be considered one of them.

When you design, redesign, or update your website, make sure you have these 9 essential elements as part of it. Missing any one of these could drastically affect your business.

Clear Business Understanding

The most important thing you can do on your website is to make it clear what you do. If you are a plumber, make that clear. The worst thing is when someone stumbles onto your site, and they can’t figure out what you do.

Social Media Sharing Buttons & Links

You want your customers to engage with you on social media. It’s a great way for you to listen to your customers and respond to their questions or concerns. In addition, if they really like a piece of content or a product on your site, make it easy for them to share. When they do, they are basically telling their friends and family that they trust you.

Simple Navigation

How many times have you been on a website where you couldn’t figure out how to get from one page to another? What did you do after that? You left right? Well, that’s what your customers will do if your navigation is too complicated. Keep it simple and intuitive to help your customers find what they are looking for.

Contact Info

If you don’t have your contact info, then that is a huge mistake. You want to make it easy for your customers to contact you with any issues or concerns. If you don’t have that information, customers won’t be able to reach out. Also, your business will look unprofessional and/or fake if you don’t have some way for your customers to talk to you.

Client Testimonials

Client testimonials are important because they provide proof that your products/services are valuable and that you are trustworthy. People trust other people’s opinions more than a business’s opinion of themselves. Displaying testimonials on your website will help convince others of the value of your business.

A Good Call to Action

When it comes to converting, sometimes customers just need a gentle push. That’s where your CTA comes in. Make sure that it is simple, clever, and stands out.

Search

It can be incredibly frustrating when you’re looking for something on a website and you can’t find it. The best way to fix that is to add a search bar to your site, especially if you have a lot of content. Make it easy for your customers to find what they are looking for, and they will stick around longer.

High-Quality Images

A professional website needs to have high-quality photos that relate to your customers. If your primary audience is elderly people, then use photos of elderly people on your site. Don’t use images unless they match your business and your customers.

About Us Page

When customers know how you got started, what drives you, and what your business’s goals are, they are more likely to connect with you. Keep your About Us page simple, easy to read, and make it personal to relate to your customers.

The Next Step

When you create a website, the driving principle is to make things as simple as possible for your visitors. Keep your customers happy, and they will stay on your website longer. Do the opposite, and they will leave.

The next step is to analyze your current site to see if you’re missing any of these. If you are, add them. If you don’t have a website, now is the perfect time to create one. Just make sure you have these 9 elements on it.

What other elements do you think are necessary for a good website?

9 Essential Ingredients Your Website Needs to Survive