Build a Great Website

Today, it’s impossible to reach most customers without a website. This is especially true for new small businesses and startups trying to compete in an increasingly noisy world. In fact, a recent study shows that 97% of consumers research their purchases online before they buy something.

Your website is a crucial component of your marketing and branding strategy. Customers visit your website because they have a particular purpose in mind – they need something from you – and your website should help to make them feel comfortable to purchase a product or service from you.

If you have a poorly designed or generic website, the chances are good that you’re losing a chance to turn researchers into loyal customers. Make sure you’re not giving up thousands of dollars in revenue and get your website functioning the way you need it to.

Now, some business owners worry that the cost of website design can be prohibitively high. It’s true that many design companies and agencies charge thousands of dollars for their services. But this isn’t universally true (crowdspring’s custom website design projects start at just $899, including all fees).

Studies show you have scant seconds to capture a site visitor’s attention. Write in simple, clear language why people should care about your business or your product.

Assure customers that you’ve got their back if they run into issues or need help. Make the service and support contact information visible on the page, and give customers an easy way to get in touch with you. This is especially helpful for companies that sell services or products. Customers want to know that if something goes wrong, they have options for getting assistance.

Customers may not be as wary about spending money online as they were a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to work to gain their trust. Unless your product is incredibly sought after, you still need to create an environment that encourages trust.

There are couple of ways you can make your site more trustworthy.

For example, have clearly visible contact information. People want to know that there’s a real business behind the website. Providing contact information (email, phone, or links to your social media pages) reassures customers that if they ever need to get in touch with someone, there’s a way.

Only take what you need. When you need to get information from your customers, only ask for what you need, and make it easier for them to provide it. Concise forms and using shortcuts that make completing longer forms easier avoids putting your customers into the position of wondering why you’re asking for so much stuff. Once you’ve established a relationship with a customer you can then get more information as needed. At first, however, the fewer bits of information a customer needs to provide, the better they’ll feel.

It’s important to explicitly state who you are and what your business is about. Contact information is important because, for many businesses (restaurants, companies that sell products, and others), customers and prospects are looking for a way to email or call your company.

It should be easy for any visitor to your website to figure out this information. And don’t forget to include a physical address. Knowing your company’s address is reassuring and builds immense trust. It’s a reliable way to remind visitors to your virtual address that your company has a physical address, too – which is essential in legitimizing your business.

Make sure you do everything you can to set customers’ minds at ease about your business’s credibility – and accountability, too.