Whether you’re just getting started or already have a website, there are always ways to improve. Here are 5 easy ways to enhance any website, no matter its size or scope.
Make Your Website Faster
Visitors will abandon your site if it takes too long to load. Compress images, clean up your code, and consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to speed up loading times. If you’re not sure what any of that means or how to do it, you should consider signing up for Cloudflare.
Even the free Cloudflare service can dramatically speed up your website and gives you access to a variety of tools you can use without knowing how to code.
Cloudflare has special settings for some platforms
An extra benefit of using Cloudflare is that it also brings a ton of security features to the table.
Create a Clear Call to Action
Notice how it draws attention to itself
If you don’t already know, a call to action is the big flashy button that draws your eye and says something like “Buy Now” or “Call Us Today”. It is a fine line between annoying and useful but with tasteful design and smart positioning a call to action, or CTA, will almost certainly increase your conversions on your website. Most visitors will not spend much time on your site and it is important to direct them where you want them to go, rather than let them wander around on their own.
Another problem is having too many calls to action, if you have more than one or two, your users attention will be split and the effectiveness of your direction will be watered down. In the same way a wall of text makes a reader’s eyes glaze over, too many big flashy buttons will have the same effect and your users will start to ignore them.
Use Real Photos
Real photos of your business legitimize your organization and give visitors a sense of actually meeting you and your company and create a better first impression.
Stock images can sometimes feel impersonal or like a mask, hiding the real company.
Many new businesses will opt for stock photography instead of spending the money on professional photography. I’m not here to shame you for making that decision but now that your website is online, consider updating some of those stock images with real photos of your business. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to get decent photos with a modern smartphone and there are a ton of apps online that can help you touch up your photos.
Try out Canva or Instagram if you need help touching up your photos.
Yes, I feel bonita
Create New Content
Everyday your potential customers are searching the internet for information you have, as an experienced professional in your industry. Put that information on your website and draw in these searchers.
Most websites are basically abandoned after they launch but to truly grow your website you need to continue adding content to it. As our founder, David Watkins used to say, “Content is King!”.
- Write about what you know. Share some of your expert knowledge with your visitors in well written blog posts. This content not only attracts visitors to your site, but it also positions you as an expert and shows your visitors that you know what you’re doing.
- Show don’t tell. Write about your success stories and share details behind the projects you complete including photos. Gather testimonials for your projects and share them as well.
- Create a schedule and stick to it. Find a schedule that works for you, weekly, monthly, quarterly, whatever it is, put it on your calendar and set aside a little time to do the work.
Use Trial and Error
It’s important to remember that there is no magic bullet and as you start making improvements to your website you need to track these changes and measure their results to determine what is and what isn’t working for you. This may sound more complicated than it actually is. Be sure you’re using Analytics on your website and use an A/B testing tool.
A/B testing lets you try changes on your website and measure if they are effective. Zoho Pagesense is easy to use and can get you up and running with data driven tools in minutes.
The page sense editor can be used on any website and is easy to make changes with.
For example, if you add a CTA to your website, use A/B testing to find out what it should say. Does “Call Us Today” or “Schedule a Call” attract more clicks? Don’t rely on your gut to make these decisions, leverage these tools and measure the data.
The numbers don’t lie
Do Them All
Try some of these suggestions and pay close attention to your data to see how they work for you.
