Is your website outdated? Ineffective? Does it look like a hold-over from the Internet of the mid-90’s? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then your website needs… well… something.
That’s the next step. You’ve identified that your site is falling behind the competition, so now what? How can you identify your online needs?
A needs analysis is the answer.
Executing your Needs Analysis
There are a lot of moving parts on a well-crafted website. Calls to action, content marketing blogs, social media links and trust signals are all valuable commodities online. Knowing the components that make up a successful website is the first step in assessing your online needs.
Content and Clear Language
The content that makes up your website is a priority for an effective website. Regardless if you’re selling products or services or just giving away free info, it’s next to useless if it doesn’t make sense.
Make sure your written content is well drafted, organized and edited for spelling and grammar. Nothing sends people packing like poorly written copy. On the other hand, well-crafted, easy-to-read content gets shared and even revisited. It does a lot for your site’s reputation as well. Be sharp, concise and clear.
Visual Appeal
Content is definitely the most important factor but visual appeal and flow of your website rank a close second. Is your website drab? Is there next to no interactive media like polls, pictures and video windows?
Gussy up the place a little when company comes over to visit. Each time you draft a piece of content take the visual aspect in mind. Photos, videos and even white spaces helps to grow a full web experience on your site.
Even minor changes like fonts colour, bold and italics can split up your copy, making it easier to read and easier on the eyes.
Communications Avenues
Your content is sound and your site is lookin’ good but some folks will still have questions. Making those site visitors search endlessly for a contact email or phone number is in bad form. Give your customers exactly what they want.
In addition to a contact page your website should be littered with contact options. Once a site visitor decides to connect there’s a time window before they change their mind. Cut down response times as much as possible by having a visible contact option on every page and even the header or your site.
The easier it is to connect and ask questions the easier it is to drive traffic and sales.
Usability and Flow
Things are looking up for your online business but there are still some bugs to work out. By now you’ve got web pages, blog posts and some support materials ready for download but all that development goes to waste if the sitemap and layout are poorly designed.
Make sure content is accurately placed with related material grouped together as child and parent pages. Ensure that all your important pages are accessible from the main menu and that your links are in solid working order.
One broken link is all it takes to lose a lead or sale. Click through your website on a regular basis and make sure things run smoothly.
Social Media and Trust Signals
Sweet success! That website of yours is running pretty smoothly while delivering exactly what your visitors want but that doesn’t mean it’s time to let up. In fact, your website shouldn’t be the only thing that gets some attention.
After placing the appropriate trust signals on your website such as links to reputable sites, it’s time to look at social media. Having a positive web presence on a whole is a good thing and gives your customers the chance to see you in a more personal setting.
You trust your friends don’t you? Befriend your clients and visitors and reap the rewards of trust!
And there’s even more to consider. Things like bounce rates, search engine optimization and page load time are all a factor in your user experience and your web authority. That’s where Canopy media steps in.
We have all the skills and know-how needed to address the weaknesses in your website or online business. If you want to know absolutely what’s going right, what can be done better and what’s missing just drop us a line. We can help push your site to the next level.
Pop over to our Needs Analysis page and fill out the form. We’ll get back to you within 24 business hours and let you know what we can do to help.
If you found this information useful than you’ll absolutely love these….
Calls to Action: What They Are & How They Work
How To Keep Them Clicking: Reducing Bounce Rate
Trust Signals Lead to Online Sales
Click a link and learn even more….
