Features Every Website Should Have:
Whether you already have a website built for your business or are just getting started, there are 5 features that every website should have.
If you already have a website, I encourage you to make sure your website has all of these features included and is up to date.
The following features are essential for every website because they help make your website user and SEO-friendly.
Though there isn't a one size fits all design for a website, if you include these 5 features you are heading in the right direction.
A Way to Contact You
It may seem obvious to have a way for your website visitors to contact you, but it needs to be executed in a user-friendly way.
Some may think it's efficient enough to only include an email address where the customer can contact them, yet that not enough.
Though it is great to list your phone number, location, and email on your website, most customers prefer an immediate way to get in touch with you.
This can easily be done through a contact form. Using a contact form on your site helps improve the security of your site, looks more professional, and can generate more leads.
There are many plugins that can be incorporated into your site to set up an easy-to-use contact form.
Your contact information should also be easy to find and in multiple places. You can easily lose a potential customer if they have to spend too long figuring out how to contact you.
Images
Customers love seeing pictures on your site. That's why images and videos are an essential function to include on your website.
Whether it is of you, your product, or your team, incorporating pictures into your site makes the customers feel connected to you and your brand.
When deciding where to upload the photos, make sure it is surrounded by relevant content.
Effectively used, images can help drive more visitors to your website, promote social sharing, and ultimately help drive business goals such as sales.
Call to Action
A call to action (CTA) is an essential function of any website because customers need to be told what to do next.
If you want to turn visitors into customers, then you need a call to action on your website.
You will even benefit from having more than one call to action on your site. It is ideal to have a call to action on every single page of your site.
Here are a few examples of effective call to actions for you to incorporate into your site.
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There are many ways to phrase a call to action. Play around with it and find out what works best for your brand.
A Blog
A blog is a great feature to include on your site because it helps improve SEO scores.
Your blog should be listed under your company domain name rather than a third-party blogging platform.
A blog can help your business in so many ways that you will be missing out if you're not considering a blog for your business.
A few benefits include improved SEO, more traffic to your site, and a way to establish that your company is an expert in its industry.
If you or someone on your team isn't a strong writer, or may not have the time to maintain a blog, consider outsourcing this task to a freelance content writer.
SEO Strategy
There is a lot that goes into SEO optimization for a website, which is why it is important to have a strategy in place.
The best way to improve your SEO score is to include keywords in various aspects of your website. This includes within headings, blogs, descriptions, and more.
Make sure your keywords are relevant to the topic and helpful to the reader.
You can utilize various platforms to help you with keyword research.
About Us
Whether you have an 'about us' or a biography page, your website needs a space where people can go to read more about who you are and why they should trust you.
An 'about us' page is an important feature every website should have because people care about who they’re doing business with. This is why sharing your story and “why you do what you do,” can make a real difference when trying to attract business.
The 'about us' section is the perfect place to incorporate photos of you and your employees.
Conclusion
Though there isn't a one size fits all design for a website, if you include these 5 features, you are heading in the right direction.
Whether it is time to update your website or have one made for the first time, I'm here to help you.
Reach out to me today to see how I can design a website for your business that includes the above 5 features every website should have, and more!
Contact Me to make sure your website is up to date!
