Every site on the Web has different goals and objectives. However, for most websites, their primary goal is to attract as many quality visitors as possible. With all different possibilities that go into design and developing a website, it can be an overwhelming an endeavor. However, following a few basic guidelines can keep your focusing on drawing in and retaining visitors to your site.
#1. Keep It Simple.
One of the first, and often most difficult, lessons in how to create a website that attracts customers is that works is to keep it clean and simple. Some sites fall into the habit of trying to put too much on one page. While this may seem like a good idea, these practices leave a website looking cluttered, unprofessional, and unfriendly to search engines and the user.
Overcrowded Web pages can also be incredibly difficult for would-be customers to navigate. Keep the design and layout clean, simple, and visually appealing. Make it easy for the user to navigate your site. If it takes too long for a visitor to find what they are looking for, they will inevitably bounce from the site, which is the last thing you want.
#2. Be Direct and Truthful.
This guideline is not far from the rule for simplicity. When you post any written content on your site, be sure that it will be clear to the average reader–or at least your company’s average customer. Anything you write should also be accurate and provide value.
Good quality writing and images can be a major factor in how easily your site attracts new customers. Take the time to do it right. It can be an indicator of how professional your website is, and with the right clarity, can resolve confusion or answer potential questions before they are ever posed.
#3. Check Your Internal Links.
The internal links on your website need to work correctly and tie in with the function of your site or business. What may seem like a minor frustration or a matter of taste can sometimes be what could cost you income and affect the ability of search engines to crawl your site.
When a link does not connect users to what it promises to, your would-be customers can miss out on important information. When something on your site doesn’t work properly, it also reflects poorly on your website’s credibility. Visitors to your site may wonder what other mistakes you might miss in doing work for them or in manufacturing your products if you miss this error on your own site.
Though you may have to fight your instincts to include everything you possibly can on a website or to promote a lot of content together in one place, having restraint, honesty and clarity can help your website keep and attract users, which can pay huge dividends in the long run.