For many people, the internet is an active part of their life from the moment they start their day until they collapse back down into their bed. We use websites and apps to tell us what the weather will be like, what kind of traffic to expect, and how our loved ones are doing. There are over two billion websites, four hundred billion active ones that are getting used every day, and these shape so much of how most consumers experience the world.
Unfortunately, many of these sites aren’t living up to what’s expected of a modern site. Whether you’re wondering why your company isn’t getting as much traffic, or you want to start up with your best foot forward: here are five qualities of any good website.
An Updated Design
Although it may be hard to notice as time slips by, there are differences in how websites look between now and ten years ago: even now and five years ago. In the last couple of years, many sites have moved towards offering dark-mode for ease of access, and others are working to undo the void that simplifying and minimalism have created.
Look at other modern and well-respected websites, and consider how their design brings across their brand. Many decisions are made in favor of good design, from most newspaper sites following the classic black and white look of the traditional papers to YouTube’s push at removing all framing and outlining to allow the videos to nest seamlessly into the site.
Good Quality Content
Your content has to stand up on its own. Although the site you build around it has to work well and be easy to look at if your content or product is no good, it’s all a waste. Ensure that you take the time to create content that you’re happy to have your brand on and deserves to be seen.
Good Legibility
How easy is it for visitors to understand what you’re offering? Make it clear what your website is for, what you offer, and how they can purchase or use this. If your visitors aren’t sure what the site is for, they don’t stick around long, and they almost definitely won’t buy anything. Avoid using too many gifs or images, but also don’t go to the far end and have a site devoid of anything besides black Arial font text on a white background.
Easy Navigation
Navigation goes hand in hand with legibility, just as important as a website SEO audit. Not only does good navigation mean you can lead your customers directly to a purchasing page, but it also means that they won’t be confused when going through your site. Poor layout and bad navigation will lead some users to give up before finding what they’re looking for.
Mobile-Friendly Option
More people own smartphones than laptops. This gap means that there’s no excuse for companies to overlook the importance of mobile site versions. You don’t have to make an entire app for your company, especially if it’s something that doesn’t need the money poured into creating an application. Instead, focus on creating a version of your site that will work seamlessly on mobile.
