What Makes A Great Website
Posted on 14th October 2020
Today, we’re going to attempt to answer one of the most important questions in the world of web design:
What separates good websites from the truly great websites?
Now, it’s a tricky subject to nail given the way in which the vast majority of people have their own priorities and preferences, when it comes to what matters. Nevertheless, there are certain elements and essential touches that have the potential to take any website of any kind to a much higher level.
So if you believe you have a good website and would like to step up to true greatness, here’s a quick rundown of a few tips to help you along the way:
Credible, Original Content
First of all, you cannot expect your website to stand out if there is nothing that distinguishes you and what you do from everyone else. It’s one thing to collate, redistribute and share quality content, but actually coming up with original content of credibility all by yourself is an entirely different thing. The moment you give your target audience something they cannot find elsewhere is the moment they’ll make the decision to keep coming back for more.
Consistent Personality
Both of these words carry equal importance. First of all, you absolutely must establish, build and promote the personality of your brand – a personality that resonates with your target audience and is appropriate for whatever it is you do. Just as important however is consistency – as in ensuring that this personality is demonstrated in absolutely everything you do at all times. You want your target audience members to feel as if they are dealing with human beings.
Ease of Use
This particular point extends to a number of considerations, including everything from site speed to the navigation on your site to the layout and presentation of your site’s content. Quite simply, your site as a whole should be easy to use and navigable by visitors almost on an instinctive level. Attempting to challenge or ‘expand the horizons’ of visitors to your website will only ever drive them in the opposite direction.
Frequent Updates
Not to the overall design of the website, but rather it’s content. Whatever line of work you happen to be in, there’s absolutely no reason why you cannot dedicate a good proportion of your website to delivering the latest news, updates, interesting articles, your own posts and so on. Rather than landing on the same page of static content every time, try to think a little more dynamically and give them something fresh to come back for.
Subtle SEO
Your SEO strategy should have the desired effect, without it ever affecting your customer’s user journey or the messages you’re trying to communicate to your audience.
Social Proof
Last but not least, there is absolutely nothing you can provide your visitors or customers with that will carry nearly as much weight as the voice of their fellow consumers. From reviews to ratings to testimonials to recommendations to video clips of customers actually putting your products to use, all the sales and marketing spiel in the world cannot compare to just a handful of words from an honest, everyday individual. Or at least, what is
perceived as an honest, everyday individual.
