In digital marketing, websites often take second – even third – place. Social media is a big trend for one compelling reason: two-way communication between brand and consumers. Although building a website is less popular, it offers advantages that can’t be found anywhere else on the internet.
WHY ARE WEBSITES STILL RELEVANT?
Despite its popularity, social media is a constantly changing medium. Friendster, Myspace, Multiply, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat – social networks have come, gone, and new ones have taken their place.
Additionally, social networks change how they present information all the time. The strategies for brands depend on the platforms algorithm and users’ behavior. For example, recent updates have shifted the focus to favor friends and family.
36% of internet users search the brand or manufacturer’s site before purchasing. They still want a site for definitive, comprehensive information of the brand and its products. This is true especially for real estate, cars, and other big purchases.
Due to the prevalence of smartphones, those potential buyers are increasingly researching on mobile. These crucial online moments of brand interactions are occurring at a higher frequency.
Once on your site, you have the best chance of converting visitors into customers. But that depends on creating a unique digital experience which also helps them. Unfortunately, many brands mistake flashy designs for the one-of-a-kind experience that people want. Others cram content in a quest to be overly helpful. Building a website that your customer will appreciate isn’t difficult but it needs to follow certain practices.
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO BUILD A WEBSITE?
1. IDENTIFY YOUR BUYERS.
Like the saying ‘you can’t please all the people all the time’, your website can’t possibly target all demographics. Create personas of your ideal buyers and tailor the website to their tastes and needs.
2. MAP A USER JOURNEY
A user journey is a useful tool in organizing a website and creating content. In a nutshell, it’s the path that your ideal buyer persona is expected to take in order to arrive at a purchase decision. Because you’re considering the site from his angle, you’ll more easily understand his preferences, challenges, and the information he needs to overcome each hurdle.
To flesh out his journey, ask yourself the following questions:
A. What’s the most important information your ideal buyer need?
B. What types of content are important to them? Photos? Videos? Whitepapers?
C. What do you want them to do after reading the page’s content? Move on to the next page? Sign-up to a newsletter? Contact the company?
D. How can they reach you?
3. DESIGN A GOOD LAYOUT
Web design covers everything that can be seen onscreen. Find pegs for the layout, the colors, and the tone of the site. Search for inspiration from your surroundings, your branding, or your competitors. Clean and minimalist designs are popular, especially in the West, but it might be daunting to some buyer personas, such as East Asians. Additionally, menus and buttons should be placed strategically for easy navigation. If the button is a Call-To-Action, don’t forget to make them stand out.
4. OPTIMIZE FOR SEARCH
50 percent of consumers use online search for information before they buy anything. To attract their attention, it’s important to land on the first search engine results page, which can only be done through website optimization.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE?
1. TRAFFIC
Similar to foot traffic, web traffic is the number of visitors your site receives. Remember to compare your results to industry benchmarks to accurately gauge your success.
2. FREQUENT VISITORS
Additionally, high numbers of visitors who return to your site frequently are another sign. They are more likely to remember and consider your brand when they finally make a purchase.
3. ENGAGEMENT
It’s also important to check how long visitors remained on your website. It’s an indication of their curiosity or enthusiasm for your content and your products or services.
WHAT CAN YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR WEB VISITORS FROM ANALYTICS?
1. AGE
Learning whether your visitors are millennials or baby boomers can help you create tailor-made content.
2. GENDER
According to one study, men and women share only a 10 percent overlap in personality traits when considered simultaneously. Men and women are different – along with their preferences.
3. LOCATION
The internet is a global phenomenon. Inquiries can come from Singapore, India, and the US. If they’re part of your market, great! If not, you may need to work better on web optimization.
4. SOURCE
People are referred to your website from different sources, such as search engine results, Facebook, and blogs of other people. Learning where the majority comes from helps you determine which marketing approach is working.
The data that you collect can help you gauge your website’s effectiveness in attracting your target buyers. If the data suggests otherwise, you can easily change your approach and improve your content.
Our blog has barely scratched the surface on the subject of websites. Look out for our following blogs, which will focus on the different strategies to bring more potential customers to your site. Until next entry!
