Essential website features your site should have
Published: May 2017
Website features essential for a successful website
So you’re looking to set up a website. That’s great, but where do you start? We’ve put together a list of essential website features your site should have, therefore helping you to focus on what really matters. A website can transform a business – but only if it’s got what your customers are looking for. Take a look through the list of website features below and see if you’ve ticked these boxes.
A domain name
Don’t underestimate the importance of having your own domain name. It’s not expensive and adds a level of professionalism to your website that you won’t be able to get without one. However, make sure it is a sensible domain name too – this isn’t a time for you to get creative. Keep it as basic as possible – your company name will do just fine.
Offer fresh content
A visitor to your website isn’t necessarily someone who is looking to buy immediately. They might just be looking to get a feel for who you are or what you do. Provide fresh content and resources that they can glance through to understand your skills, and your company culture. A regularly updated blog is a great way to do this. Therefore, by creating interesting content that is SEO optimised will help your rankings in Google and get you ahead of the competition.
Who you are and what you do
This sounds like an obvious one, but many websites neglect to tell their visitor what the company actually does! It should be clear to a visitor within the first three seconds what you have to offer. A confused visitor is not a happy one – they’ll leave and not bother coming back
Calls to action
If you want a visitor to do something when they arrive on your website – tell them! If you want them to call for a free quote, sign up to your newsletter or visit a particular page, lead them there with calls to action.
Clear navigation
Make it easy for your visitor to get around with a simple navigation bar at the top of every page. The easier your website is to use, the longer a visitor will stay. A structured siteflow of your website needs to flow for the user and navigate them to where they want to be.
Prominent contact details
If you want customers to get in touch with you, make it as obvious as you can. Don’t hide away your contact details on a contact page. Click-to-call buttons are being used more and more on smartphones, so take the time to develop one for your website.
A friendly design
When it comes to web design, this isn’t the place to show that you are quirky by messing around with layout. Visitors like to see a standard layout that they are used to, because they know how to use it. Think of the websites you find easiest to use, and try to emulate that.
Customer testimonials
A customer testimonial is the best recommendation you can get. You can shout about how great your business is until you are blue in the face – but it’s testimonials that really stand out. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with clients and ask them for a recommendation!
An about us page
Give new visitors who haven’t heard of you before a chance to read up on who you are, what you do and why you do it. This is an opportunity to tell the story of your brand and show some personality. So, think about who you are, and what you stand for.
Your work
Don’t tell visitors that you’re good – show them! Your portfolio is powerful, and can be the difference between a customer choosing you or someone else. So, if you’ve created something amazing, make sure everybody knows about it. Don’t hide away fantastic work, give customers a reason to trust you by showing them what you’ve achieved in the past.
Security
If your website is ecommerce or has a log in its worth investing in an SSL certificate. An SSL certificate is a cost effective way of encrypting important data that your website handles. Ask us how we can easily implement one onto your site. Your hosting is another way to give you that extra security for your site. Reliable & fast web hosting ensures that your website remains safe and accessible all year round.
Responsive
Ensure your site delivers the best experience on all browsers and devices through a responsive design. Smartphone and tablets are driving increasing amounts of traffic so make sure your website adapts to the device your user is using to deliver a seamless browsing experience.
So, how does your website measure up? If you’re missing a few of these website features and want to fix that, we’re here to help. In conclusion these are some of the essential website features your site should have and we can ensure these are on your next site. At Urban River we specialise in web design and can ensure a successful digital solution for you and your business. Get in touch and we’ll see what we can do.
