What makes great websites?

What makes great websites?

Do you have a great website? It’s safe to say that just about every business out there – large, small and in between – has a website. But how many of them are great? A difficult question to answer, but here are some good ways to assess your website.

Great websites must possess these three qualities:

• Great content
• Great design
• Great organization

Let’s start with great website content.

When I say content, I don’t mean just links to stuff, but content – words and information – offering visitors value. When folks are exploring the Internet, and they come to your website, they’re there because you have something they’re searching for such as a product, service or some useful information. However, if they don’t find what they want, they’ll be gone in a nanosecond. So, if you want to have any hope of having your visitors stick around, you must give them quality content. When you do, they’ll be more apt to delve more deeply into your website, and return to it in the future.

Now on to great website design.

Never lose sight of the fact that your website is a mirror image of both you and your business. Which is why its design or look is critical in determining its value. Sadly, if your website doesn’t look pleasing to the eye, its perceived value and that of your company’s products and services will be diminished. And less value means less sales. Look at it this way: would you attend an important meeting without looking your best? No, you wouldn’t. So please don’t have a website that looks shabby and unprofessional.

Great content and design are nothing without great website organization.

You may have read or heard the term, “information architecture” or IA for short. IA has to do with how content is organized on a website. How your content is arranged is critical because it helps visitors to your website find what they’re looking for easily and quickly. Truth be told, having a well organized website is more important than having an attractive one. Because at the end of the day, when customers have an easier time finding what they’re looking for, they’re far more likely to buy, buy, buy. Which is why you must spend some serious time considering the organization of your website. What can you do to ensure that your website has great content, design and organization? Seek guidance from website professionals. Sure, it may cost more than a do-it-yourself website, but the not-so-great result you end up with will cost you far more in lost opportunities.

Best of Days to You…

Audrey Ferrante
ferrante & Associates, Inc.