Don’t be fooled, your website needs constant attention

So, a year ago or more you had the perfect website designed for your business. The design was on trend, conversions and sales increased, and everyone complimented you on your well executed design.

But now you’re no longer feeling it and it’s just not bringing leads for your business anymore. Sales and traffic to the site have gone down and users have now also started complaining about their experience.

Truth is, there often comes a point when a site is no longer serving its intended purpose. As frustrating as this may be, the function of a website and how it works keeps changing as the consumer mindset and tech use does. So, a redesign every year or two is not out of the ordinary. All websites need a little TLC every now and then.

Take a hard look at your current site

For many on the move, like business execs and micro-business owners, a website design and the upkeep thereof is the last thing they’re focused on. And when they do, they often launch a site with a poor structure and design.

Remember, design trends change rapidly, so it is important for you to focus on longevity – not just trends. Here’s some tips you might want to consider when launching or redoing your business website.

• Overcrowded site – It is never a good idea to overcrowd your site with chunks of bulky information. Nobody likes clutter and that includes visitors to your website. Your content should be concise and straight to the point.
• A tell-all home page – What your business offers should be clear from the homepage of your site. A home page is like a shop window display: if it’s not enticing, no one will explore your shop. Make it immediately clear what you offer.
• Copy is key – Your site should always be customer-centric, and that means your website copy as well. No one wants to read long uninteresting text. Besides, people tend to scan online writing. Make sure your site copy is easy to scan. Add captions to your images, use short sentences and avoid small type sizes.
• Use imagery that works – Let pictures help you tell your story and use imagery that works for your audience. The images on your site should always reinforce your brand, be of high-quality and feature people that resemble your target audience.
• SEO-friendly – SEO plays an important role in ensuring your website gets optimum exposure. There’s no use in including keywords that are irrelevant to the topic of your content. Include both high traffic and low competition keywords.

Go back to your brand

Websites often age quickly and perform poorly, because the site is no longer on par with the brand’s identity. The last thing you want is a client landing on your page and feeling confused by what you are actually offering. This is a terrible user experience and will result in a decrease in traffic to your website.

Be consumer focussed

Always consider the user and make sure your website is customer friendly. When someone clicks on your site link for the first time, they are going to judge you and your product by the way your site looks and how easy it is to navigate.

Sometimes owners lose sight of the purpose of the website in their business. It’s crucial to be clear with what you offer along with easy-to-understand product information. This helps customers to find what they want and need more easily.

Give your website attention to grab attention.

Small to medium businesses often think that having a professional website or redoing their outdated site is not very crucial and will cost them an arm and a leg, this is not necessarily the case.

At YehBaby Digital Creatives, we believe that the website is the core of any brand’s online strategy. Websites should work in conjunction with other online platforms to present the brand consistently and completely. We consult and develop meaningful websites, whether online brochures or fully e-commerce enabled sites. We specialise in web-architecture and layout, the fundamentals of a successful website. YehBaby also works in conjunction with web-developers of the client’s choice.

A lot of work goes into developing a great website, but even the best websites are never completely done. Our combination of communications and content expertise with technical web skills enable us to keep your content current and the site functioning well.

Whether it is updating team members, campaign messages or fixing technical glitches, there is always something that needs to be done. A site should also be re-evaluated at least once a year to stay current with style changes and best online practices.

Ready to kick off with a new design or update your current website? Contact us at +27 (21) 879 1823 or info@yehbaby.co.za and we’ll gladly assist.