Website Archives - Chaosmap Digital Advertising & Marketing Agency

As technology improves, customers have higher expectations for business websites.

For instance, 52 percent of consumers say a high-performing website is their most critical expectation when visiting an e-commerce site.

website-improvements-make-happy-customers — Technology And Website Improvements Make A Big Difference

Forty-eight percent of users won’t wait for more than five seconds for a site to load and 33 percent will leave to buy from a competitor if a site takes too long.

Customers also expect more from mobile sites, with only 35 percent willing to wait longer for a mobile site to load compared to a desktop, compared to 44 percent of respondents willing to wait in 2014.

Staying competitive in today’s market means keeping up with your customers’ expectations of your website.

Here are three key areas where it’s crucial to make sure your website meets customer expectations in order to keep your customers happy.

#1 – User Experience

Your visitors’ user experience helps form their first impression of your website and your brand, which can play a crucial role in determining whether or not they decide to become a customer.

Business consultant Larry Alton recommends three initial steps you should take to optimize your visitors’ user experience.

Page loading impact

First, since page loading time has such a large impact on whether or not your visitors stay on your site, you should make sure your page loads quickly.

Google provides PageSpeed tools that your developer can use to analyze your site and identify areas for improvement.

The benefits of an SEO audit are undeniable and should always be considered before starting any SEO planning.

Ensuring that code is built correctly is important, including e-commerce and WordPress developed sites.

Website and data security

Second, with cyber attacks on the rise, it’s important to make sure your site and your customers’ data is secure.

Limit the number of users who have administrative access to your site, and use two-factor authentication to reduce the risk of being hacked.

Make sure anyone on your staff with access to your site follows your security policies.

Third, adopt a streamlined design layout that users will be able to view comfortably on mobile devices.

This means reducing excessive text and focusing on large graphics and video when possible.

For instance, if you view Apple’s home page on a smartphone, you will see a clean look with an emphasis on graphics and white space, minimal text, and icons for menu options.

#2 – E-commerce

E-commerce & SEO is another area where you should take steps to optimize your visitors’ experience.

The vast majority of your visitors come to your site not yet ready to buy a product. This means that you need to offer content that motivates them to stay on your page and get into your sales funnel.

One effective way to do this is having your home page offer a case study, e-book, guide, or video that addresses some need that your visitors have.

Your home page should also include calls to action oriented towards visitors who are looking for information or resources but are not yet ready to buy from you.

As for your sales page and shopping cart, the easier you make it for your customers to buy from you, the higher your sales conversion rate will be.

For example, Amazon includes a shopping cart icon at the top of its home page so that it’s easy for visitors to begin the purchase process as soon as they arrive.

Amazon also makes it easy to add products to the cart, begin the checkout process, choose shipping and payment options, review orders and make repeat purchases with one-click ordering.

#3 – Customer Service

Customer service is another crucial component of an effective website.

Forrester research shows that 76 percent of customers prefer self-service over speaking to a representative on the phone.

A good contact cloud center solution can help ensure that you’re able to provide your customers with consistent support across live chat and other media.

When customers do need help, they increasingly prefer live chat, with 65 percent now using live chat compared to 43 percent in 2012, according to Forrester.

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We are in a new phase of website optimization that goes beyond just the usual SEO techniques of website building. To understand this premise, we must look through the eyes of potential customers who are looking for solutions.

All of the metrics that provide for the mechanical ranking of websites still hold true in today’s competitive world, but we need to go beyond that. We will assume that you are up-to-date with search engine optimization training, long tail keywords, mobile marketing, and videos and social media marketing (more about that later) used in the optimization of your site.

Here a salient fact that must be recognized. You can get to page one of Google, but if no one understands your message and takes some sort of (positive) action, you might as well not exist.

“Who is Your Website Visitor?”

Website visitors today are very impatient. And, especially if they are coming to your site for the first time. According to Tony Haile, the CEO of “Chartbeat” the average viewer will only stay on your first page for 15 seconds, unless you can convince them that you can meet their needs. Well designed and coded templates, proper placement of images, and symmetrical design configurations don’t mean a whole lot in that short space of time. Do you know who your visitor really is, and what they are looking for?

“What is The Purpose of Your Website?”

Most business owners respond by stating that their website should actually work to bring in new customers, clients or patients. If it is there for any other purpose, the business owner is just wasting time and money. You have to capture the attention of a typical first time viewer in that first 15 seconds (or less), or you are just whistling in the wind.

Think of a time when you went to a very well designed website, but when you got right down to brass tacks and attempted to read through the content you were still unsure of the message, and if it could help you. Even after more reading, you still found it difficult to find the purpose of this business.

Unfortunately, this is a problem with many websites. The very system that is supposed to convey the message that will cause people to come “into” the store, click the button on the site for more information, or pick up the phone and call your office, leaves the reader in a fuzzy state of mind.

If your business solves a real problem for people, but the website fails to communicate that, potential customers will never discover how good you are with such a short window of opportunity.

We hear over and over that content is king, and that is still very true. Because, the one thing that people are looking for, more than anything else, is information gained from excellent content and placement. They want very targeted and focused information, and if they fail to find it they will quickly move on.

There are three major things that must occur in order to get the right message out to website visitors, so that they will want to call you, visit you, or delve more deeply into your products or services.

1. State Clearly What the Business is About – Quickly Show the Value Being Offered to your Target Audience

Hire a professional copywriter, with a track record of success. Your business must be presented as the problem solver that it is, very clearly, and to the point.

A copywriter is a professional who will “sell” your concept with words that have high impact and will be deeply informative. This quality content will outweigh flashy designs or cute pictures.

2. Communicate Vividly Why Your Business Is Different From Your Competitors

Without disparaging other businesses, clearly state what you do that the competition does not do. Your customers will catch on very quickly.

Demonstrating this proposition by video is an excellent way to get the facts right out there in the open. If you can show why you are better in the video, you don’t have to say it.

3. Establish Realistic Expectations As Well As Solid Credibility That You Deliver Your Promises

Clearly state the issues and problems that you have solved in the past, with clear-cut testimonials to that fact.

People rely on testimonials in a big way, and you will gain credibility. Also if you belong to any professional organizations and affiliations, your credibility is enhanced.

REMEMBER:

…that people are looking for solutions, and the content of your website must give them the solutions to their problems. When they fully understand that, they will come to you for help, and buy your products and services. Make sure that the information is easy to find as you develop and expand the information architecture.