When it comes to making a new website, it’s important that all the crucial elements are included which will help to attract more clients to your business.
There’s so much to consider when creating a new site. It can be a tiring job and you might want a rest after you’ve finished the planning, design and content stages. However, after these steps are completed, ensuring that you have the key features that your website needs to function properly is arguably the most important factor. Without them, you could be losing potential clients without even realising it, so take time to carefully plan these out.
Here’s a list of the essential features that you shouldn’t forget to include on your site:
1. Calls to Action (CTA’s)
A Call to Action can be defined as a particular command that requests users to take a certain action and will be linked to a specific page on a website. For instance, this virtual and serviced office space in Gateshead has used these on their homepage such as ‘book a viewing’ and ‘contact us,’ which takes visitors directly to a contact page when clicked. CTA’s are important because they make it easier for the audience to find a certain page once they’ve decided that they are interested in finding out more about what your brand offers.
2. Social Media Feeds
Including a social media feed on your website, whether that’s your Twitter, Facebook Instagram or Pinterest, when clicked, should help your audience gain a further insight into your business, whether that’s through behind-the-scenes posts or even infographics talking about your services. Having a social media feed embedded on your page shows visitors that you’re eager to interact and engage with them on multiple online platforms. Take a look at this helpful guide explaining how to upload a social media page to a WordPress website.
3. A Description of Your Company
When someone visits your website it’s likely because they are interested in what they see and want to learn more about your business. This means that it’s vital to include a description of the products or services that you offer. You should, therefore, aim to include two or three short paragraphs based on what your business is about, where customers can find it and why they should choose your company (don’t forget to mention your unique selling point/proposition). If you have a particularly interesting story about why you founded the company, this might be worth including but it should be brief and to the point.
4. A Mobile Friendly Layout
It’s one thing having a website suitable for a laptop but, as research from Statista points out, last year there were over 4 billion mobile internet users, which means that over 90% of the world’s population uses their phone to go online. It’s therefore important to ensure your website is mobile friendly, particularly if you have a link to it on your social media platforms, where visitors are likely to be using their phones to access it and see what you’re all about.
5. A Gallery/Portfolio
Finally, it’s important to showcase your work so that customers know exactly what they’re getting. For instance, if you own a bakery, including pictures of doughnuts, cakes, etc. are absolutely essential as you’ll want to make your audience’s mouths water! Likewise, if you’re a portrait photographer, clients will want to see your previous work so they can get to know your style. Be selective over the images you choose as you’ll want them to see your best work. It might be helpful to check out our tips on how to sell with an image. Photos also improve SEO rankings if they are optimised and include keywords in the descriptions.
Concluding Thoughts
We hope these features have helped to point you in the right direction when it comes to creating a website that your clients will notice. You should always ensure that you’re capturing what’s great about your brand and what makes it stand out from competitors.