There are still many websites out there that look like they haven’t been updated in the past decade and with the ever-increasing options for building out websites, there’s no excuse not to have updated the site within the past year.
For some people, there’s no hope in just doing an update. It’s time for an overhaul.
Before you go about creating a mashed-up pile of images, text, hyperlinks, and endless pages, consider establishing a flow chart for your website that builds off of customer tendencies. Here are some examples:
- For restaurants and other food venues, the location and menu/prices are the two most important things to the consumer. Make those easy to find from every page on your website.
- Don’t place an unnecessary web form on the directions page. If people want to clarify the directions, they’re going to call you. In the world of instant gratification, no one wants to wait on an email for directions.
- Clothing stores should make it easy to move between collections and specific apparel types. Then, develop a “goes with” strategy. If someone is looking at a scarf, they may want to get some kind of warm hat, so have a button that says “Goes With…” and takes them to a recommended hat pairing.
- Any type of online retailer should work with the principle of the upside-down triangle. The consumer selects a brought reference area of a product – “TVs” – and then continues to narrow down their choices – HD, No 3D, LED, 42″ – until the perfect item is found. Most big retailers, such as Best Buy, do this very well, but the idea often escapes small business owners.
- An easily-searched FAQs page is excellent, especially if you can link out specific sections across your website. For example, an attorney’s web page that describes contingency fees may link to the FAQ page answering the question, “What are my fees?”
Simple changes in the navigational structure of your website to make it easier-to-use are more important than broad brushstrokes of graphics and flash animations, which often turn off consumers. Sure, you want your website to be “pretty,” but I’ll trade “pretty” for “effective” any day.
