UX

Many businesses are expanding their customer bases by reaching out online. A well-designed website can attract new customers, help retain existing customers, and lend credibility to businesses in any industry. But what if you build a website and it doesn’t do any of these things? What can you do to make your website perform at its peak? Here are some great tips for increasing your website’s appeal and performance. With the right features and directed goals, a website can maximize the efforts of any business.

Identify your objectives.
Many sites are static, flat pages that give customers your information, but do not give you information about your customers. However, a website can be an essential tool to help marketers target new customers and gather feedback from high-level users. In order to best leverage your online presence, use an analytics software to monitor user activity and set goals for your site. This will make your website perform as more than just an online “phone book” listing.

Find your best customers.
Identifying the users who you want to see your site is part and parcel to creating goals. Think about the type of person you want to reach. What age group or geographic area should you target? What kind of jobs do they hold, and how much are they likely to spend on your products or services? What does this hypothetical user expect to see from your site? These types of questions can be answered with customer surveys and market research.

Learn to direct traffic.
While it may seem like a no brainer, it’s important to know how your customers are finding you. If an advertisement on a Lost fan forum is bringing users to your antique auto parts site, they are probably empty hits. However, if the same flow was coming from a car enthusiast forum, you have reached the right customers. By employing SEO techniques and using targeted advertising services like Google Adwords, you can ensure that the right users are visiting your site.

Update and modernize.
Many successful businesses have outdated websites with incorrect information and unprofessional-looking interfaces. When users see an antiquated site, they make assumptions about the quality of your products and services. A website should evolve with the times to show your customers that you understand their changing needs. Eliminate old-style pop up ads, visitor counters, and outdated content to give your site the best chance of competing with your rivals.

Find out what your competitors are doing.
The military strategist Sun Tzu is often attributed with the axiom, “Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted.” Get to know your competition, and don’t hesitate to adopt some of their good (un-patented) ideas. A sweep of competitors’ sites can help you find a missing niche in the market, or identify weaknesses in their design. By finding out what others in your industry are doing, you will find out where you stand with your customers and how you can stand out in a crowd.

Be consistent.
It’s important to present a consistent brand and image to your customers, and this holds true for website design as well. Be sure to execute a unified, pleasing design for your site to avoid confusion and frustration. If one link opens in a new browser window, another loads in the same window, and yet another is a roll-over pop up, users will be turned off. Your website represents your brand just as much as a brick-and-mortar location does, and customers will respond well to consistent design.

Make the commitment.
A website is never a “finished product,” and it requires frequent monitoring, feedback collection, and updates. The era of the “website under construction” banner is long over, and users expect new content to keep them coming back. Consider using a blogging tool to post press releases or news updates that will generate buzz, raise your search engine ranking, and invite customers back to your site. Collect feedback from users about the site, and implement the changes they suggest. This will ensure that your site stays on the top of the pack.

These strategies will help your website stay relevant in an era of diminishing customer loyalty. By setting goals, identifying best customers, keeping an eye on the competition, and updating content, businesses can ensure that they maximize the performance of their websites.

By Haley January Eckels