5 Key Ingredients to that Perfect Website
The most common method people use to build their website is to sign up with a host provider or a platform provider, and then learn enough of how to use the site so that they can start adding content.
They then add pictures of their products. They add descriptions. Details. They spend time designing their header, their logo,… often they will even spend a great deal of time picking that perfect font that truly expresses who they are and what they are all about…..
This is all fine…for a start. Looks are important.
Except for one thing. This is a lot like spending a lot of time in front of the mirror – picking the perfect clothes, donning the perfect make-up – but not necessarily knowing where your going.
It’s great to spend time on appearance. But now what?
1. Is what you are wearing appropriate for where you are going?
For example, dressing for a Halloween party is a very different experience than dressing for a formal gala.
Are you wanting to attract customers?
What “look” are THEY drawn to? Are they kids and they are looking for Barney? Or are they adults and they are looking for an expert on Yoga.
Use colours, fonts that reflect the mood you want your visitors to experience.
Use images that reflect the types of activities your visitors would, or would like to, engage in.
2. Where are You Going?
Think of your website as a destination. What attributes would make someone want to visit your website?
Websites generally address one of three things: they solve a problem, they help people achieve their dreams and/or desires, or they fill a void or meet a need a person or business has.
When you think about it – this is generally the reason you will leave your house on any given day. Generally it is to meet one of these three criteria.
- We leave the house when we NEED to get something. We go grocery shopping, or make other purchases.
- We also leave the house to learn new things, to see the world, to interact with other humans. To have fun and experience life.
- Finally, we leave the house in order to solve a problem. Perhaps you are building a shed in your backyard and you go look at how other people have built their sheds to get a better idea of how you are going to implement yours.
Which one of these reasons best illustrates your website visitor? For each of the topics listed above, there is always an on-line solution available:
Goods and services can be ordered online and delivered within a reasonable time.
There are also many ways to use the internet to fulfill dreams and desires, or in the very least research and plan for exciting adventures to come. If your website is about fulfilling dreams, there is so much you can do in the form of pictures and videos and maps and checklists. Online workshops and conferences as well. Imagination is key.
Often we can solve those problems by using the internet as well. We can look up or research our issues and come up with many viable solutions. It may not be quite as good as face-to-face contact, but if we have a problem we can usually chat, or we can zoom with an expert to help us with solutions.
What solution are you providing? What problems are you solving?
Who would likely visit your website? Who do you think would like what you have presented there? Who would both benefit from, and appreciate interacting with your website?
3. What Can You Do That is Fun and Exciting and Engaging?
If people visit your “destination”, are there things there that would engage them? Make them stay awhile?
Maybe it’s videos, or blog posts, or demonstrations of how to use certain products or services. Maybe it’s a podcast or free music to listen to. Maybe it’s a gallery of photographs with a story behind them of how they came to be. What would draw “your” people in, and what would make them want to come back?
Most importantly, you want to offer your visitor something of value, and even better, something that is memorable, so that when they see your name again somewhere they not only remember it, but they remember something positive about it.
4. How Are You Going to Stay In Contact?
If you meet someone while you are “out on the town”, often you will exchange social media id’s or phone numbers so that you can keep in touch. If you had a lot of fun together, maybe you will even make plans to meet up again.
How will you keep in contact with your website visitors?
The two most common methods of keeping in touch with website visitors is to collect email addresses, or link to your various social media pages where interested parties can follow your posts.
As you do on a personal basis, the more respect you have for the privacy and selected use of that personal information, the more respect that person will have for you. Treat all information collected with care. Using a professional email marketing service such as Aweber or Get Response is highly recommended, as you know that data will be kept safe and secure.
5. How are you going to follow-up?
Once you have found some new friends that you resonate with, it is nice to find ways to keep in contact. One method of keeping in contact is by sharing fresh, related content on a regular basis. This can be something you created yourself – like a video or a blog post – or it could be something someone else created that you thought was super cool and you just had to share it. Either way, it is important to stay in touch with your audience.
What are you going to do to follow up with your visitors?
You can share this content on your blog posts. if it is someone else’s content you are sharing, write a little note of why you like it, and why you are sharing it. Personalize it. You can also share content through emails…. like a regular newsletter. It doesn’t have to be lengthly. It could be as simple as a means of keeping up-to-date on upcoming events, specials or sales.
Not every interaction has to be 100% serious. In fact, most people tire very quickly always having to talk “shop”. Strive to put some personality into your communications. And find ways to connect on on a more causal, light-hearted way at times, as well as being somewhat consistent with your overall message or vision. Find the balance.