7 Essentials for an Effective Web Site
Is your site...
- Visually appealing?
- Delivering informative and useful content?
- Current and timely?
- Interactive and responsive?
- Easy to find and use?
- Providing a service?
- Fast to download?
Follow these simple rules to make your Web Site more effective.
1. Visually appealing
Make sure your site is welcoming and inviting. It should look professional and appropriate for your business. Have it designed by a professional.
2. Delivering informative and useful content
Provide what your visitors want and what is useful for them. They will bookmark the site and return, especially if you offer something free!
3. Current and timely
Keep the pages fresh and up-to-date. Visitors will return to see what is new. Don't use a "last updated" date if you only update once per year!
4. Interactive and responsive
Don't just sell - allow your visitors to interact. For example, online quotations, message boards, forums, product feature comparisons, "call me" buttons, etc. Be responsive to contacts from your site. Emails are delivered almost instantaneously. Don't wait a week to reply.
5. Easy to find and use
Choose an appropriate Domain Name. Make sure your site is well optimised for the search engines. If you cannot do this yourself, seek professional help.
6. Intuitive navigation
Design a good navigation system, available on every page. Always provide a link back "Home". Consider a drop-down menu system for one-click access to sub-pages. See www.roadrunnerinsurance.co.uk as an example.
7. Fast to download
Not everyone has broadband. Be kind to your modem visitors and don't include huge graphics. Always inform your visitors about the size of large files when offering downloads. Let them choose whether or not to download.