Any business owner who wants to last in today’s market needs to learn proper internet marketing. In particular, they must craft a masterful website that tells the customer everything they need to know about their business. However, it’s easy to feel at a loss for what the customer base of your particular niche is looking for. Here are just a few things that your customers are looking for on your site, according to marketing companies in Orange County area.
#1. A Proper Homepage
If planning a website is akin to architecture, where even one detail out of place ruins the entire design, then a homepage is the foundation. If this doesn’t work, nothing about the site is going to work. As the first thing your customer sees of your site (and sometimes your very business) the homepage should have most of the features available right from the start. There should be a menu to take the customer to every single page and sub-page on the site, a preview of what can be found on the site (ex. If you’re running a shopping site have a featured list of popular items), and if you can fit one in, a blurb briefly explaining what your company is and what you do.
#2. A Practical Amount of Sub-Pages
Human brains are obsessed with two things: organization and categorization. For example, if your website is dedicated to selling electronics, including video games, a good way to organize them would be to have sub-pages for different consoles, genres, and age ratings. Televisions would be separated by size and type, and computers would be separated by capability and product age. The right amount of sub-pages can make navigating your site as easy as pressing a button. However, having too many can be confusing and arbitrary, so be sure not to overdo it.
#3. Few/Nonintrusive Ads
Ads are important to your site’s survival, especially if your entire business is based around your site. Marketing companies love to offer sites the chance to advertise other companies on their sites in exchange for funding. However, make sure these ads will not get in the way of your customer’s experience on your site. Most consumers would prefer that there be no ads at all, or at least as few as possible. As unreasonable as that may seem, a good compromise is to just have them on the periphery of the site, out of the consumer’s immediate way without being invisible. Be wary of using auto-play ads (video ads that play without the viewer’s permission) or drop-down ads (ads that start as a smaller image but then expand outward). These will quickly put a bad taste in your customer’s mouth, and at worst, drive them to use AdBlock.
#4. Contact Information
Finally, make absolutely sure to list your company’s contact info on your website, preferably the homepage. If you have a physical location, list the address, or if you have a dedicated contact line, give that instead of your personal phone number. Also important is the company’s email, any other sites your company can be found on (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr etc.).
The website is a cornerstone of modern marketing and general business. So it is paramount that your website look fantastic and wow your customer from the outset all the way to the end. Follow these instructions, and your site will be good to go.
