Good morning, all!
Well, 2014 is just around the corner and many of you will be making your New Years Resolutions. Maybe it will be starting up again at the gym, quitting smoking or paying off your credit card debt…
Or maybe, it will be building your business if you are an entrepreneur.
eCommerce has rose $ 33 billon from 2011 to 2012 (Forbes link to article) which tells us people are using the internet more and more to purchase goods and services. Without a properly designed website not only may you not be considered for your product or service, but you can also negatively impact your brand by having an unprofessional look and feel.
Trends have changed drastically from just a few years ago with how sites are designed and optimized. Content type and sizing can drastically change a user experience.
Here are some things to consider when you review your current site or are planning to design a new one:
- Who is your site for: clearly identify who your audience will be and make sure your Home Page (or landing page) draws them in and keeps them engaged.
- Invest in the right places: a GREAT website needs a graphic designer and a web design company that can manage the project and drive it from concept to completion in a timely manor.
- Keep in simple: sites today need to have a clean and clear message as your potential audience will not make it past the Home Page if they cannot easily find what your product or service is – and of course if it is relative to their needs.
- Keep it FAST: large photos and graphics are great to look at but can slow your website up tremendously – make sure your web team incorporates the right amount, but properly sized and designed.
- Optimize: make sure the site is viewable on mobile phones and tablets and all of your call-to-actions work by testing each device.
- Increase Sales: make sure your customers are driven through a proper sales funnel – guide them through the site easily so they can purchase or call to schedule an appointment without becoming distracted by information that is not relevant to their needs.
- Offer something FREE: give something FREE to your customer for doing business with you – FREE shipping, FREE consultation, FREE 12-month service plan, etc.
- Search Engine Optimize (SEO): you will continue to hear more and more about this – SEO is a way to get your site listed closer to the top on an internet search. Although this can be costly it is a great investment for your business as people continue to use the internet to find products and service providers.
Here are two great articles from Forbes.com where some of the information above was taken from:
Designing a website for 2014:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevecooper/2013/11/30/designing-a-website-for-2014/
7-simple tips to increase online sales:
As always, thank you for listening!
Bryan Marino, President
Marino Graphics
Marino Graphics offers a turn-key solution that incorporates all of the recommendations above and we are happy to provide a FREE, no-obligation review of your existing site. Send us an email if you have any comments or questions: info@marinographics.com
