A question pops into your head about a product or service. What do you do to find the answer? Google it (while usually on your phone). In the initial search, users typically browse through a list of reviews, search results, and then they eventually find themselves on a brand’s website. But what’s the determining factor for whether or not that user will decide to purchase a product or service, bookmark and return to the site, or share this info with family and friends? Answer: A user-friendly website.

And according to Taylor & Francis Online, these days you have a measly 50 milliseconds for your company website to impress. This first impression shapes and determines whether someone will make a purchase, return to the website again, or share the site with others. Obviously, creating a user-friendly website is paramount to your success as a business. This one tool has the power to drive sales, brand awareness, and inform potential customers about your products and services.

Two characteristics should be at the forefront when thinking about your small business’ website: Powerful and User-Friendly. Let’s talk through the four features that will help your website stand out and invite in potential clients.

A Clear CTA

What is the single most important action you want users to take on your website? Whether you want them to call your team, sign up for a consultation, or visit your store, make this clearly understood. Whatever your call to action, pepper it throughout the site so visitors can’t miss it.

Take a page from the StoryBrand’s website. “Register Now” is not only front and center, the CTA is displayed three times without any need to scroll. It’s straight to the point and simple.

Take your one call to action and wordsmith it until it’s just a few words – “call now” or “book today” work well. After all, the CTA is typically a button on a website, so it doesn’t need to be complicated.

The bottom line is if you want your customers to take specific action, you need to make it clear. And understanding exactly what that action is should be your first step. If you confuse the user, you risk losing their business.

Concise Content

Typically, when users visit your website, they’re skimming for the gist of what you do and how you do it. They will scroll through the home page and maybe browse through a few of your products and services. Most people won’t take the time to read through large bodies of text. Their eyes will be drawn to the headlines, subheadlines, and the first few sentences at most.

The key to catching their attention is with active (not passive) copy and breaking up what your website says through the use of headlines and subheadlines, as well as short bodies of text. Be as concise as you can. Use headline formatting, bold key phrases, and highlight important information with bulleted lists or icons. Make your list of services obvious for the user.

Trying to sound clever or speaking in puns may be tempting. If there’s any chance it could be confusing, steer clear! It’s always better to be understood by your potential customers rather than clever.

Mobile-Friendly

Mobile users account for around half of the worldwide web traffic – and that number is only set to rise. If your website is not optimized for mobile, you’re losing customers by the day. Make it a top priority to update your website to become mobile-friendly. All this means is that your site will shrink down to fit mobile devices so the user can easily read and navigate your site on a smaller screen than a desktop.

If you’re unsure whether your site is mobile-friendly, take Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see what it looks like on mobile devices.

Intuitive Design

Intuitive user experience (UX) is everything on a website. The navigation and design of your site need to flow logically for your customers. We recommend limiting the top navigation bar options (also known as the menu) to between three to five pages at most. If you have remaining pages, they can link in the bottom navigation (or footer).

UX preaches a good balance between white space, high-quality images, and concise content as this combination translates best for your audience. Striking the right balance between content and imagery helps the user navigate your site well and keeps them scrolling.

Our BeLocal partners are getting in front of new homeowners in their community through effective, targeted print advertising – and we love to see a powerful digital presence working alongside their ads to create a multi-platform, holistic marketing strategy. Want more help navigating your digital marketing? Our Hyport Digital team can help. Contact us today.