The internet makes it simple for businesses to attract and retain customers, but websites are just as easily abandoned by dissatisfied users. By optimizing your website to appeal to visitors, you can preserve your company’s customer base and enjoy online success. Here’s a look at the most important aspects of an effective company website that attracts and keeps customers.
1. Ease of Navigation
With plenty of easy-to-use websites all around the internet, many visitors will simply hit the back button if they are unable to easily navigate around your company’s website. Fortunately, this is fairly easy to prevent by following a few basic rules. First of all, website navigation should be kept simple. Pages should easily link to one another, and users should be able to easily go back to primary navigation. This makes the site user-friendly and allows the customer to have a sense of where they are at all times. In addition, links and site structure should follow a familiar pattern used on many websites so that it feels natural to modern users.
2. A Personalized Experience
The anonymity of the internet carries certain advantages, but it can also take away from customers’ online customer service experiences. Special incentives, coupons and thank-you notes can all make a world of difference in how customers relate to the companies they do business with. Offering free shipping or other gifts to your repeat customers lets them know that their business is appreciated and will encourage them to continue to do business with your company.
3. Accessible Contact Information
To many customers, a company website without phone numbers or addresses is a red flag to be avoided. Including a contact page with e-mail, phone and mailing information can go a long way toward improving your conversions. Letting customers send fax to email addresses at your company is an especially versatile form of communication to consider. Many businesses, in particular, prefer sending fax through email for its easy integration with business fax numbers.
4. Validation from Others
With countless websites competing for online business, savvy customers are often uneasy about giving their money to unknown companies. Adding reviews, awards and positive news stories to your website will ease their worries and reassure them that their money is well-spent. This is especially true in business-to-business transactions; including the names of other well-known customers can be invaluable in attracting potentially valuable new clients.
5. A Clear Company Mission
It’s easy to forget that customers don’t always know what you are trying to accomplish in the marketplace. By making a page on your website that clearly states your business goals, you can instill confidence in users that gives them the go-ahead to open their wallets. This is also a valuable opportunity to generally put your company’s best foot forward to potential customers.
Effective websites are valuable tools that small companies can use to level the playing field with big business. Ease of navigation, a personalized experience, accessible contact information, validation from others, and a clear company mission are a few ways you can optimize your website. By taking advantage of the tips listed above, companies can more easily gain new customers and retain existing ones.
About the Author: Krista Langford is a blogger and contributing writer for Aplus.net. an online business solutions company. They provide tools to help you grow and manage your business, such as website, domain, communication tools, and web hosting services. Let Aplus.net simplify your work life!
