Lucy - BQ Magazine EditorWhile it’s almost imperative that a business has a website to gain customers’ attention in 2020, there are many different ideas on what that site should be used for. Some people think the website should immediately grab customers from their first visit to the homepage. Others believe that more intensive businesses can allow customers to do some navigating to find what they are looking for. There are even businesses that prioritize flashy design over substance. But in a heavily competitive industry, how important is a website in attracting customers?
Allow Customer Exploration to Showcase Expertise
Some industries use a website as a touchpoint for customers. Legal firms, for instance, primarily use sites as a way for customers to get in touch. Choosing a legal representative is no quick job and the businesses in the industry understand this. So, while many do convey their expertise through case studies and profiles of their representatives, customers are expected to do their own research in this field. Moreover, if you put out enough good content, you can become an authoritative source that other websites refer to. With the aid of an SEO agency helping you thrive in your local search rankings, this could inspire more traffic than you had anticipated.
As far as lawyer websites go, the initial site may give reviews for their previous work or may boast their credentials from reputable publications they are attached to. But all websites that require customers to make a big decision must showcase expertise and relevant information in a longer form than a simple grab on the homepage. That’s why the information on case specialisations and previous work is buried further in the site’s navigation.
Grab Attention to Gain Competitive Advantage
Representing one of the most competitive – and wholly digital – industries, the online casino industry shows us how important it is to grab a customer’s attention. For instance, as online casino NetBet shows, it’s important to outline the brand’s top games as soon as players reach the homepage. The site has a cascade of games – including industry favourite slot games Book of Dead and Starburst – which works to immediately entice players.
The site also has a rolling total of jackpots on some of its slot games, which gives potential players a sense of community and a sense of immediacy when visiting the site. This design of the site is necessary as the industry faces such competition that the brand needs to show why customers should use them and not a competitor from their very first few seconds on the page.
In addition to grabbing the attention of your target audience and keeping them on your website with a sense of immediacy and community, you need to consider their experience on your website. This can be mapped out properly by considering the user journey.
Think about the design and how you can quickly tell them what you offer and how they can obtain it. Many people will tell them what they do, but not the why or the how. Consider how they will navigate around your website and stay on it.
This not only means you need to consider the design and accessibility but also the speed. If you have a website that is built to grab your user’s attention, you might lose them to your competitors if your website loads slowly. Users do not have the patience any more for slow-loading websites, not when there are hundreds of options to choose from.
Make sure you optimise your website to load fast and use Dedicated Servers to ensure your business is accessible 24/7.
Style Over Substance
There is even the case for style over substance when it comes to a website. There’s an art when it comes to web design, and yes, aesthetics need to be involved in this. Websites don’t have the expectations they did in the 1990s and early 2000s when it was more about function, style is everything nowadays.
This works for those whose website isn’t the primary sales function for their business. For example, designers, filmmakers, and those who are the face of their creative endeavours can benefit from a stylish, yet sparse, website. Most people in this industry would be using other methods of attracting attention – social media for one – so would use the website as a secondary tool.
A website – for almost all businesses – is a must-have given how skewed we are towards making digital purchases. Indeed, Black Friday 2020 was the second-largest day of online spending in US history. However, the function of the website differs depending on the industry, the business, and the action the business wants the customer to do on the page. This could entice them to make a quick purchase decision or could give information to help them make a bigger one.