So, you want to make an outstanding website? Do you want your customers to leave it feeling understood and inspired, thinking how your brand is the perfect solution to all their problems?
The internet has given us all an amazing opportunity, but the competition is stiff. With 1.09 billion websites in the world, it’s hard to stand out and tell your story in a way no one has before.
That’s why today we decided to go in-depth on this topic and explore what features are must-haves for a successful website. Stay tuned.
What Are the Crucial Features of a Successful Website?
What makes a successful website? Is it the design, responsiveness, the focus on user experience, or all of it combined? Here’s our pick for the top ten features your website needs to have:
- User-Friendly Design
When you are creating your website, you need to be able to constantly see it from the user’s perspective. And one of the most important things is that the users find what they are looking for quickly and don’t get confused.
Statistics say that around 60% of customers abandon purchases because of poor website user experience. Just think about when you are shopping online. When a link doesn’t work or you can’t find the item you’re looking for, you’re bound to lose the urge to shop and leave the site.
The design of the website should also be simple. You want to guide your customers. You want to take them on a journey. Organize content in a way that naturally directs the user’s eye.
Important information should stand out through size, bright color, or placement. You can also use tactics like white space, following a strict color palette, and using two to three fonts on the entire site.
With 64.95% of the world’s website traffic being mobile, mobile responsiveness should be at the top of your list. Many people love scrolling on their phones, so make sure your website design is adaptable to all sizes.
Source: StockCake
- Fast Loading Speed
Speed is crucial. If your website takes too long to load, you risk losing visitors before they even get the chance to see your content.
According to a study by Google, 53% of mobile users leave sites that take longer than three seconds to load. That’s why you need to make sure you won’t leave your customers feeling frustrated and disappointed.
Here are some tips for improving your loading speed:
- Optimize images: You need to use high-quality images and compress them if needed. Tools like JPEG Optimizer or TinyPNG can help you out.
- Minimize HTTP requests: Reduce the number of elements on your page to the necessities to make load times faster.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN can help deliver your content faster by distributing it across different servers.
- High-Quality Content
High-quality content is good not only for engaging and adding value to your customers but also for SEO. Search engines will be able to pick up on quality articles and images, and this will improve your ranking on Google.
The content on your website should be clear, relevant, and made with your target audience in mind. It should also be regularly updated to keep your site fresh.
Think about adding a blog and work on it regularly. Use images, infographics, and videos to make your content more interesting. Use keywords strategically in your content, but be careful not to overuse them. The key is to make everything seem natural and effortless.
Source: StockCake
- The Search Feature
A search feature helps your customers find their way around your website. It will help them quickly find the information they’re looking for. This is very valuable on websites with a lot of content, like blogs, e-commerce sites, or large corporate websites.
When users can easily find what they need, they are more likely to stay on the site longer and come back to it later. Also, when users can find what they want fast, they are more likely to explore other parts of the site.
- SEO
68% of all online activities begin with a search engine. That means that you will attract the most of your audience by focusing on your SEO (search engine optimization).
To improve your SEO strategy, you need to:
- Do keyword research: You need to find the keywords your target audience is searching for and use them in your content, meta descriptions, and title tags.
- On-page SEO: Make sure that every page on your website has a unique title tag and meta description.
- Technical SEO: Optimize your website’s technical elements, like the site’s speed, mobile-friendliness, and HTTPS.
- Contact Information
Visitors should be able to easily contact you. They might have questions or need some support. Also, other brands might want to reach out and collaborate with you.
Accessible contact information is important for building trust. You can include a simple contact form that allows visitors to send their questions directly from your website.
You can also provide more contact methods, like email, phone number, and social media links. If your business has a physical location, include your address and a map to help customers find you.
Source: StockCake
- Social Media Integration
Social media integration allows you to connect your website with your social media profiles, making it easy for visitors to share your content and follow your updates. This can help increase your visibility and website traffic.
74% of consumers rely on social networks when making purchase decisions. Social media has a huge influence on people, and we can use that to our benefit.
You can add social sharing buttons to your blog posts and product pages, making it easy for your visitors to share your content on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Another good idea is to display your social media feeds on your website to show your latest posts and encourage visitors to visit your profiles.
- Chatbots
Chatbots are such an amazing addition to your website because they will help keep your customers engaged and help answer any questions. They can provide instant responses to common questions, helping users find information quickly.
Chatbots can also operate 24/7 and are very cost-effective. They can help create a more interactive user experience and help your customers feel heard.
Also, they encourage users to explore more of your website. For example, a chatbot can suggest related products, offer discounts, or guide your customers to content they might find interesting. This can increase the time users spend on your site and improve engagement.
Source: Pexels
- Clear CTAs
Clear calls-to-action (CTAs) will help guide your customers and make sure they take the action you want them to take. Do you want them to sign up for a newsletter, make a purchase, or download a resource? Make it known and make sure they are placed strategically.
Place your CTAs where your customers can see them, like above the fold (the top portion of your web page that’s visible without scrolling), and at the end of blog posts or product pages.
To make sure they stand out and encourage action, use strong and active verbs like “Get Started,” “Buy Now,” or “Learn More,” and use contrasting colors.
- 10.Analytics and Tracking
Businesses that use data are over seven times more likely to keep consumers, around 19 times more likely to stay profitable, and 23 times more likely to outperform their competitors in client acquisition.
Making informed decisions helps you stay ahead of the competition and make sure your business stays on top. You need to understand how visitors interact with your website and why they take certain actions.
In business, it’s important to stay flexible and adaptable, and analytics can help you see where you are succeeding and what needs improvement.
Here are a few tips on how to use this for your company:
- Google Analytics: Set up Google Analytics to track the number of visitors, bounce rate, and average session duration.
- Conversion tracking: Use conversion tracking to monitor how effective your CTAs, forms, and other conversion points are on your website.
- A/B testing: Conduct A/B testing to compare different versions of your web pages and figure out which performs better.
Source: StockCake
The Bottom Line
There you have it, guys. We’ve been through 10 features your website needs if you want it to be successful.
Remember, try your best to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and see things from their perspective. Stay adaptable, make your site responsive and user-friendly, and implement SEO tactics.
If this all feels like too much for you and if it’s stressing you out, or if you’re short on time, you can always hire professionals to do it for you. There are truly great companies out there that will come up with custom solutions that go well with your brand. Read more to discover the top companies in the industry.
James is the head of marketing at Tamoco
