A website is almost compulsory for all businesses nowadays, with consumers flocking online whenever they need to know about a brand, product, or service. A solid online presence would help increase consumer awareness about your brand and improve your traffic and revenue, especially if you have set up your own e-commerce store on your website.
Aside from this, a website that is done well can improve your credibility and showcase your brand to prospective customers. You can also use it to share positive news and developments about the company with your customers to keep them excited and strengthen their loyalty to your brand.
However, it is not enough to simply have your presence up on the internet because the web space is already starting to get crowded, with almost two billion active websites around the world as of 2021. With so many other options available to the consumer, you need to do something special in order to grab their attention. Here are the key factors and features that can help you keep the user engaged while visiting your website:
1. Aesthetics
First impressions are important, and one of the first things that your visitors will evaluate once they enter your website is its appearance. A cluttered website can be a huge turnoff, compelling your audience to leave it before even exploring its contents. Thus, it is better to keep the layout clean, simple, and organized so that it is easy on the eye and the users will feel comfortable using it for a long time. Keep your online store neat, use clear and attractive product photos, and write short but informative product descriptions, which would help the customer decide faster which items they want to buy.
After considering all these, don’t forget that your site should adequately represent your brand and everything it stands for. Make sure you give your visitors a clear idea of what you are all about when they look at your website. Elements like fonts, colors, and images are all part of your brand identity, so they should be chosen carefully and used consistently throughout the website.
2. Site Navigation
Users go to your website because they are looking for something in particular. Make them stay longer on the site by giving them exactly what they need. Customize the design according to the preferences of your target audience to make them feel that they came to the right place as soon as they land on your site.
When your website is user-friendly, visitors are more likely to stay longer and follow the action you want them to take. Simple and easy-to-use website panels and menus also make it easier to draw attention to the essential parts, such as the details you want consumers to retain in their minds even after leaving the website.
3. Search Tab
Everyone is busy, and your website visitors are no exception. They don’t want to spend their precious time getting lost in your website while searching for the information or product they came there for. This is why the search tab is a crucial element of your website, as it allows visitors to retrieve the details they need in a matter of seconds.
“No matter how intuitive and easy-to-navigate your site interface may be, visitors to your site both want and need a more direct way to find exactly what they’re looking for. Without the possibility to conduct an internal site search, customers are more likely to bounce out and go elsewhere to find what they need,” says Fast Simon, a solutions provider specializing in AI-powered shopping optimization.
4. Ease of Use
Because of their exposure to a host of other options, customers have developed very high standards with everything they encounter, and this includes your website. If you give them an unsatisfactory experience, they will simply exit and never come back. According to studies, 90% of users will not return to a website if they are unsatisfied with their user experience.
On the other hand, when they feel at ease while browsing through the site, there is a high chance that they will stay longer, explore the different pages and get to know the brand more, and may even recommend you to other people. For example, almost any website user hates having to remember different passwords for multiple sites. Make their lives easier by offering them other alternatives such as PIN codes or biometrics. Having several payment options is also an attractive feature since customers don’t like entering a long list of information needed at checkout, only to end up with a failed transaction and repeat the process all over again.
